The use of a cellphone in the car increases the odds of an accident. Many crashes happen every year because someone was sending a text message, looking at their social media profile or even trying to pick a song while they drive.
The easiest solution to this would simply be for everyone to put their phone down when they are in the car. If no one picked the phone up, everyone would be safer. Accidents would still occur, but the rates would fall. Unfortunately, it’s very clear that this has not happened. One reason for it may be phone addiction.
This is a real issue that people deal with
It’s sometimes hard to think of a phone being addicting in the same way that alcohol or cigarettes may be, and it is different in a physical dependency sense. But the phone, for all of its benefits, can certainly lead to obsessive use that is very similar to an addiction. People can react to their phone subconsciously, such as reaching for it automatically as soon as they feel it buzz.
As with any other addiction, this is very difficult to break. Someone may fully understand that picking up their phone to look at a text message increases the odds of a crash, but they won’t be able to stop themselves. They’ll rationalize it by telling themselves that they’re probably not going to crash, and then they’ll look. Most of the time, there are correct and they don’t cause an accident. But this is still so dangerous that thousands of crashes happen in this way every year. It’s only a matter of time.
What if you get hit by one of these drivers?
Deciding not to use your own phone in the car is just half of the battle. You could still be hit by another driver who is on their phone. If you are, then you may be eligible for financial compensation.