We’ve all done it, and we know it’s wrong: talking on the phone or texting while driving. You probably feel a little guilty about it, but your job is so demanding, and your spouse needs you to pick something up from the store, and your daughter wants to tell you about her piano recital, so you use your mobile phone while driving. This article isn’t about blaming: it’s about helping you stop.
Using a mobile phone while driving is very dangerous, whether you’re calling someone or texting.
If you’re calling someone, the problem isn’t that you need to drive with one hand. In fact, car accidents are common among people who use Bluetooth and other hands-free cell phone devices in order to have conversations in the car. Talking on the phone while driving is dangerous because of the distraction provided by the actual conversation! In fact, researchers have shown that talking on the phone while driving can be even more dangerous than having an alcoholic beverage (or two!) before getting in the car.
When you read these facts, you might wonder, “Does that mean I can’t talk to my passenger while driving, either? Doesn’t that conversation distract me?” Research shows that passenger conversations are less dangerous because passengers are usually aware of the fact that you’re driving and can stop talking and allow you to focus when you need to. They understand that driving is your first priority, while people on the phone might not even know you’re driving.
Texting while driving is, of course, more dangerous than talking on the phone or even being drunk while driving. There’s no way to text without using your hands, and it’s also very difficult to send a text message without taking your eyes off the road. It is impossible to read a text message without looking at your phone instead of the road. Even if it’s just a few seconds, focusing on something other than the road can cost you your life: in those few seconds, someone else on the road could lose control of his or her car and crash right into you.
Teenagers and twenty-somethings carry the highest risk of phone-related car crashes. If you’re addicted to your phone (or your co-workers, who seem to text and email you all the time), try installing an app on your mobile phone that warns you not to read text messages while moving faster than 15 kmph. That little reminder might be all it takes to keep you alive. Don’t be a statistic – wait until you’ve parked to answer that text message.