Does Using Cell-phone while Driving Increases the Chance of Car Accident?

Any action that takes a driver's attention away from the road defines distracted driving. The most common kind of distracted driving is using a phone while driving. In the United States, there are about 1.6 million car accidents attributed to distracted driving each year.

You must give driving safely your whole concentration. It is dangerous for you and other drivers on the road to use a phone to text, make calls, seek directions, or for any other purpose.

There are three types of distracted driving: visual, cognitive, and manual.

• Visual distraction:  Anything that diverts your attention away from the road is a visual distraction. Visual distractions include things like texting, tuning the radio, picking up something off the floor, and even turning to chat to another passenger. Each time, you look away from the road to concentrate on something else.
• Cognitive distraction: Any mental diversion from driving is considered a cognitive distraction. Ever daydreamed while operating a vehicle? Or did you consider work? or considered your family? You may not realize it, but if your mind wanders while driving, you can lose all focus on the road.
• Manual distraction: A manual distraction is anything that makes you take your hands off the wheel or your foot off the pedals while driving. Perhaps your kid starts wailing in the backseat, so you turn around to see how they're doing. A manual distraction would be something like this.

The National Safety Council reported that 1.6 million car accidents occur each year as a result of distracted driving. Because there are so many minor collisions that are unreported to the police, this number might be significantly higher. As a result, they are not listed in the accident log. Accidents brought on by using a phone while driving resulted in more than 390,000 injuries. According to statistics from the National Safety Council, using a cell phone while driving results in 1 out of every 4 accidents in the US, which is more accidents than are brought on by drunk driving.

Just under 10% of drivers are reportedly using cellphones while driving at any given time, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). As a result, if there are 100 other vehicles behind you in traffic, it is likely that ten of them will be using a phone.

Distracted driving, such as using a phone while driving, is risky and raises the possibility of an auto accident. 3,142 people lost their lives in car accidents in the US in 2019 where distraction was a contributing factor.

When compared to drivers who are not distracted, using a cellphone while driving increases the chance of an accident by two to six times. Using a phone while driving reduces reaction times, increases lane deviations, and keeps drivers' eyes off the road for a long time. Inattention blindness, or the inability to comprehend and react to items on the road that are in plain view, can affect even drivers who manage to "multi-task" and keep at least some focus on the road while using their phone.

Young adult drivers (16 to 29 years old) are more prone to drive while distracted. According to a report, 40% of high school drivers send texts or emails on their phones while operating a vehicle. Young adults between the ages of 20 and 29 made up more than one-fourth of distracted drivers involved in fatal collisions in 2018.

A report by the UK's department of transport claims that using a cell phone while driving resulted in 33 fatalities, 90 serious injuries, and 308 minor injuries in the UK in 2017. As I've already explained, since many accident instances are not reported to the police, these data may actually be far higher than what is stated. Visit our page statistics of the UK's road accidents to learn more about the incidents that occurred in the country from 2013 to 2018 and for more information on the number of accidents that occurred there throughout the previous years.

The use of cell phones while driving is prohibited in 24 U.S. states. In 2001, New York became the first state to forbid all drivers from using portable cellphones while driving. Similar legislation governing hands-free driving are now present in nearly two dozen states. In 48 states, it is illegal to text and drive. California passed a legislation prohibiting cellphone use while driving in 2009, but it still allows for hands-free or voice-activated phone use.

After a hands-free regulation was implemented, smartphone use by drivers in Washington, D.C., decreased by 41%. In the three years after the state of Connecticut passed a hands-free rule, the number of drivers using their phones fell by 65%. The IIHS claims that there is insufficient evidence to conclusively demonstrate that hands-free legislation has decreased the overall number of cellphone-related automobile accidents in the U.S. Hands-free rules have at least somewhat reduced the number of drivers who use a phone while driving.

Vehicle entertainment systems assist drivers focus on the road by hiding their phones from view, but overly complicated systems do not. Infotainment systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which let users pair their phones with their vehicles so they can make hands-free calls, play music, and obtain directions without ever having to touch their phones, have been quickly adopted by automakers.

Voice-activated infotainment systems have been shown to aid in keeping one's attention on the road. When utilizing voice commands to perform infotainment-related duties, drivers are said to maintain their eyes on the road for a greater percentage of the time than when performing the same actions with their hands. Voice-activated infotainment systems vary widely. Vehicle complexity varies from one type to another. Voice instructions that involve many steps, such those that ask you to say an address in several, are more distracting for the driver than voice commands that only require one step.

Globally, there are strict regulations against using a mobile phone. In the UK, using a cell phone while operating a vehicle can result in 6 penalty points and a £200 fine.

• Your phone should be turned off or in "Do Not Disturb" mode. Put your phone in "Do Not Disturb" mode or completely off the next time you are driving to remove it from the situation. Some smartphones feature a setting that, when activated while driving, switches on "Do Not Disturb." If you enable that setting, you won't even need to consider turning off your phone when you get behind the wheel. Nevertheless, it makes sense in today's society that some people converse on the phone while driving.
• Prepare your directions in advance. Before you go behind the wheel, be aware of your destination and the best route there. Before you start driving, enter the directions into your phone. In this manner, you won't have to use the phone while driving and can lay it away. Similar to this, enter the destination address before you depart if your car's entertainment system has navigation built in.
• Before you leave, make any necessary adjustments to the climate, mirrors, and sitting position. Before you start driving, take some time to get comfortable in the automobile. Also, if you haven't already, become comfortable with the car. Every automobile is unique. To avoid being distracted while driving, become familiar with the dashboard's structure and what each button performs. For more details, consult the owner's handbook. This will guarantee your comfort and lessen the possibility of usual distractions from driving.
• Specify ground rules for all visitors. Talk to your traveling companions about reducing distractions. As the driver, be sure you can maintain your attention on the road. Avoid being distracted by conversations or other passengers' movements.
• Exercise extra caution if you eat while driving. Eating while operating a vehicle can also be distracting. If at all possible, avoid eating until after the automobile has been parked at your destination. Make sure the food is contained and unlikely to move if you must eat while driving. You won't have to worry about where the food is in relation to your seat when you can reach down and grab it this way.