Your Phone Should Be Off When Driving – No Excuses
There is no denying that the cell phone has revolutionized how we communicate. We use our phones to text, communicate via social media, check our e-mail, get the latest news, and even watch hours of streaming video – all on a device small enough to fit in the average pocket. Still, the cell phone can be a deadly object when taken in the car.
National data shows that more than 1,000 people are injured every single day in car accidents involving distracted driving. Even worse, nine people die. One in every five U.S. car crashes resulting in injury is due to distraction. Care to guess what the number one cause of distracted driving is? It’s the cell phone.
It only takes a second of distraction to lead to a crash. According to VG Law Group, a Florida car accident and personal injury law firm, your risk of injuring or killing someone in an accident goes way up when you’re distracted by your phone.
Lots of People Do It
The most unfortunate thing about cell phone related car accidents is that they are completely avoidable. Equally unfortunate is the fact that survey data shows one out of every three drivers engages in the practice of texting while driving. One in three!
Sending or receiving a text takes the average person’s eyes off the road for more than 4 seconds. That may not be much time when your football team is down by 10 points, but it is plenty of time to cause an accident when you’re driving. If you cause such an accident in Florida, the VG Law Group says you can expect to be contacted by a Florida accident attorney. The same is probably true in any state.
Multitasking is a Bad Idea
The introduction of the cell phone has created a situation in which many of us find ourselves multitasking throughout the day. We have a conversation going on via the phone while we are trying to do other things like cooking, cleaning, etc. This sort of multitasking is not good.
Experts say that using a cell phone while driving reduces the amount of brain activity dedicated to the task of driving by as much as 37%. If you are concentrating on driving 37% less, common sense dictates that your risk of being in an accident goes way up.
It’s Just Not Necessary
It is inspiring to see how many people take a stand against drunk driving. Indeed, there are multiple national organizations dedicated to stamping out driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. And yet, so many of the same people who would shout against drunk driving from the rooftops use their cell phones behind the wheel. It is as sad as it is alarming.
Here’s the deal: texting and calling are just not necessary when you’re driving. You can afford to be out of touch for the short amount of time you spend in the car. If you feel like you cannot be, you may have a problem far deeper than texting and driving. Maybe you need help for device addiction.
We have become a culture that cannot bear being disconnected even for a few minutes. But what about our parents and grandparents? They drove for decades before cell phones ever existed. They managed just fine without text messages and social media notifications.
Next time you get behind the wheel of your car, make sure your phone is off. No excuses. If you need to put it out of reach to avoid the temptation of turning on, do it.