There are those who still choose to text and drive, even though it is clearly very dangerous. Thankfully, though, people are becoming more aware of these risks. There are more people who choose to put their phones away when they drive.
Not all of these people just keep their phones in their pockets for the entire trip, however. Many of them will still get the phone out and check at times when they believe that it’s safe. For instance, they’ll pull up to a red light and look at their text messages while they wait for the light to turn. Or they’ll get to stop sign behind a few other cars that are waiting their turn, and they’ll look to see if they missed any calls.
It’s understandable that people would think this is safe. After all, texting and driving has been branded as a very dangerous activity, and they’re clearly not actively driving while looking at the phone. But there is a key reason why this is still incredibly dangerous.
The distraction won’t end as quickly as you may assume
The assumption being made when texting at a red light is that the distraction from the phone is gone as soon as you put the phone down. Therefore, if the light turns green and you see it, you can set the phone down and drive perfectly safely, just as if you had sat there staring at the road the entire time.
But this is not the case. The distraction actually lasts. You may not be visually distracted or physically distracted since you are holding the wheel as you drive and you are once again looking at the road. But the mental distraction persists. This can mean you’re not perfectly focused for the next 27 seconds, According to some studies. Accidents can still happen in this time due to the distraction created by checking the phone while stopped.
Have you been injured?
You can avoid doing this yourself, but there are plenty of drivers who are going to continue doing it. If one of them causes an accident that leads to severe injuries, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation.
