It is easy to become distracted while driving, especially when our phones are within reach. Unfortunately, many of us have become accustomed to the dangerous habit of glancing at our phones while driving. Whether it’s to read a text message, check a notification, or take a call, distracted driving can quickly lead to serious consequences.
Dangers of Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a serious issue that has resulted in many preventable deaths and injuries. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, distracted driving was the cause of 3,166 fatalities in 2017. Furthermore, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that distracted driving is the leading cause of car accidents.
Distracted driving can come in many forms, including talking on the phone, eating, or changing the radio station. But one of the most common forms of distracted driving is using a cell phone. Not only is it dangerous, but it is also illegal in many states.
The Risks of Glancing at Your Phone
Glancing at your phone while driving is particularly dangerous. When travelling at 50km/h, a car can travel 14m in the time it takes to read a text message. That’s the equivalent of three parked cars, and it’s easy to see how quickly a situation can become dangerous.
The NHTSA states that drivers are six times more likely to be involved in an accident when they are using their phone. Furthermore, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that drivers who use their phone while driving are three times more likely to be in an accident than drivers who are not distracted.
Distracted driving is a serious issue that can lead to devastating consequences. Glancing at your phone while driving is especially dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. The best way to stay safe is to keep your phone out of reach, and to focus on the road ahead.
At a time when the modern lifestyle is frequently centred around the use of smartphones, distracted driving is an ever growing concern. With the increasingly faster speeds of vehicles, the dangers associated with taking your eyes off of the road can be potentially deadly.
This risk is illustrated in the recent findings of researchers from the University of Casablanca in Morocco, who studied the effects of glancing at a message on your phone whilst travelling at 50km/h.
The experiments conducted showed that the effects of this seemingly simple act can be severe. It was found that glancing at a message could delay a driver’s reaction time, by as much as sixfold, creating conditions that, in many cases, render them unable to control their vehicle in time. The effects become more severe if their speed is increased or they happen to be distracted by other acts at the time, such as talking to passengers or listening to loud music.
This study highlights one of the dangers posed to modern driving, and shows the need for our society to make an effort to reduce smartphone usage while driving, if we are to avoid the consequences of distracted driving. Governments around the world have sought to deal with this issue, by introducing consequent measures, such as fines and taking points away from drivers’ licences.
However, to truly reduce the risk of traffic accidents caused by distracted driving, education is arguably more important. Raising awareness about the risks posed by such activities is key to reducing the number of incidents caused by drivers using their phones.
The results of this study clearly show how glancing at a message on your phone can be dangerous, with implications not only for you, but also for those travelling with you. It demonstrates why we should always keep our eyes on the road, especially when travelling at high speeds, and why we should strive to reduce the use of smartphones while driving.
