One of the fastest ways to cause a car accident is by texting and driving, but texting isn’t the only form of distraction that a cellphone provides. Drivers also crash while talking on the phone, taking pictures, recording videos, browsing social media, and much else. The phone should always be off and in a pocket while driving, but far too many people try to multitask and cause accidents. Why is this?
Smartphone addiction is real
There are many reasons, from societal pressure to not understanding the risks, but one thing that often goes overlooked is the role of addiction. It is very real and many people suffer from it without realizing it.
Just the sheer usage is telling. According to one study, the average person touches his or her smartphone a staggering 2,617 times every single day. There are only 1,440 minutes in every day, so that’s basically once every 30 seconds.
For those who qualify as top-ten percent phone users — simply meaning they use their phones more than 90% of the population — they average 5,427 touches per day. That’s about 3.77 touches per minute, which is close to one touch or action every 15 seconds.
You can imagine how hard it is to break these trends. If someone goes on a drive for just 15 minutes, and they’re used to touching the phone every 15 seconds, they miss 60 touches. Is it any surprise that they feel compelled to pull their phone out at red lights or even to keep using it while they drive?
When you’re injured, seek help
If you suffer serious injuries in an accident caused by a distracted driver, you may be able to seek financial compensation. When someone takes chances behind the wheel of a car and it causes injuries to other people, they should be held accountable.
