You’ve tried texting while driving, despite the fact that you’re never supposed to do it, and you understand why it’s prohibited. It’s very difficult and it certainly distracts you from the road. Maybe you’ve experienced a near-miss or even been involved in a minor accident.
No matter what, your experience showed you that you should never text while you drive. But what if you pull up to a red light? Does that mean it’s a good time to get your phone out and take a look at what you’ve been missing while you were on the road? Wouldn’t that be safe?
It isn’t safe because the distraction lingers
Experts warn that phone use in the car should always be avoided by the driver. It doesn’t even matter if the car is stopped. They still face higher odds of getting in an accident if they use their phones at any time.
The reason for this is that the distraction tends to linger beyond the actual phone use. Some studies have shown that it can last for nearly half a minute.
For instance, say you check your phone and find a text from your boss about a big project. You may put your phone down and start driving again when the light turns green, but are you still thinking about that project? Are you still stressed and distracted? All of these things can keep happening as your car begins moving again, so an accident is statistically more likely at that time than it would be if you would have left your phone off.
You can’t guarantee that everyone else will be safe
Learning things like this can help you stay safer because you avoid dangerous activities. And that is a good first step. But you can never guarantee that the others around you will do it, and you need to know how to seek financial compensation if one of them causes an accident that leads to severe injuries.
