Personal Electronic Devices – More Than A Distraction Anymore

There is a huge debate amongst travelers on whether or not they should be forced to shut off their personal electronic devices. Why should they be shut off? There is a very important reason, and support, as to why these devices can be a big problem.

It's not just in hospitals, but banks and even airplanes where these devices are not allowed to be used. Think about it, thousands of people travel every single day, in many forms. States, counties, and even city ordinances are outlawing the use of personal handheld objects while driving, flying, taking tests, and in many other situations. Statistically, drivers who use a handheld device are more likely to cause an accident than those who are in the accident for any other reason including failure by other drivers to adhere to traffic laws.

But what does this have to do with airplanes? And why should these toys, computers, cell phones, and more be shut off during takeoff?

In actuality, the signals that emit from different units actually interfere with the guidelines from the National Aviation Association. In other words, your IPad or Blackberry could cause the plane to lose altitude, change the view on the course monitors, or even affect the radar equipment which pilots rely on to make judgment calls. It seriously only takes one device to emit a strong enough signal to interfere with any part of the plane's electronic navigating system.

This holds true in a lot of older planes as well. Think of it this way: your phone interferes with a navigating system the same way it can interfere with an ultrasound taken of an unborn child. The signal transmits continuously, causing the readings to bounce off the ultrasound signals. In an ultrasound, these frequencies, like radio waves, can be transmitted through to the baby causing health issues such as mental retardation and problems in the cardiovascular system.

With these medical issues of a fetus also come the health issues of other patients. Last time it was researched, no one chose to have their life support system fire off rapidly because someone used their cell phone in the waiting room. The frequencies of these devices are incredibly strong, emitting waves nearly 100 times higher than those of the equipment the impact. The common E-Reader devices can affect the heart monitors of cardio patients as well as the monitors of patients in the intensive care ward.

With this kind of power, it is obvious why there are concerns about these devices and their use while on airplanes. In actuality, they could even shut down a plane or run it off the runway before it even has a chance to take off. At low altitudes, the problems that a cardiac patient has with the wave lengths are equivalent to those that the radars have on the plane. Some devices can even affect the signals at higher altitudes, especially those that are newer in this era of technological.

If you think about the lives that are at risk, it is best to think twice before arguing about shutting off that phone. The few minutes it takes to shut and leave it off can mean the difference in a safe landing or perishing in the deep blue sea. After all, you may be on that plane that doesn't make it to its destination.