Drivers certainly know that cellphones can be distracting on many fronts. The most common example of this is texting and driving. But drivers can also get distracted as they listen to music, use social media, read emails, take pictures or videos, program a GPS destination and much more. There are many tasks that drivers do on their phones every time they get behind the wheel.
To stay safe, drivers will sometimes decide that they will only use the phone after the car has stopped. If they want to choose a new song, for instance, they won’t do it while they’re driving. They will wait until they stop at a red light and pick the song at that point. When the light turns green, they put the phone down again, thus avoiding driver distraction.
Does it really work?
The problem with this tactic is that it doesn’t actually work, at least not as well as drivers believe. Studies find that people are still cognitively distracted for nearly half a minute after they stop interacting with their phones.
Additionally, using a phone in any situation takes the driver’s eyes off of the conditions around them. For instance, a driver waiting at a red light should be watching the crosswalks to see if there are pedestrians, checking their mirrors for cyclists and other vehicles and things of this nature. If the driver is staring at their phone and suddenly looks up when traffic starts moving, they’re not nearly as focused on driving the car safely.
Have you been injured by a negligent driver? If so, you may deserve financial compensation for medical bills and much more.