If you’re driving your car and looking down at your phone, trying to type in a new destination on your GPS or reading a text message from your boss, it’s very clear that you are a distracted driver. Even if you glance up every few seconds or try to use your peripheral vision to keep an eye on the road, you’re still more distracted than someone who is focused on driving their vehicle. This drastically increases the odds that you will be involved in an accident.
Not wanting to be injured in a crash, you may decide that the cellphone is something you should only use when the car is stopped. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve arrived at your destination. You may check your notifications when you have a few seconds at a red light or try to update the GPS destination while you’re sitting in a traffic jam. Is this safe?
The next 27 seconds
No, this is not a safe practice because driving distractions don’t end right away. If you’re using the phone in the car, studies have found your level of distraction remains high for 27 seconds after you put it down.
Another thing to remember is that intersections are one of the most dangerous places for people to drive. Traffic has to cross, and other drivers make mistakes and cause accidents. It could be that some of those drivers were just on their phone but they dropped it on the seat next to them when the light turned green. Since they’ll still be distracted for 27 more seconds, they could cause a serious crash.
Have you been injured in an accident caused by another driver? You may deserve compensation for medical bills and more.