It’s clearly distracting to be typing a text message while you drive the car, and most drivers already know this, despite the fact that some of them will still do it. Since the invention of the smartphone, there has certainly been a rise in distracted driving accidents. Many of these happen because the car is in motion while the driver is actively using – or at least looking at – their phone.
However, people also generally believe that it is safe to use the phone in the car if you’re not driving at the moment. For example, you may never text while you’re driving, but you may always glance at your phone when you get to red lights. What may surprise you is just how long that distraction is going to last.
27 seconds
Every situation is unique, of course, but researchers have studied it and found that distraction lasts for an average of 27 seconds. This is counted from the time that the driver puts their phone down – such as when the light turns green in the above example.
The problem here is that another half a minute of distraction could certainly lead to a car accident as the driver begins to move the vehicle again. It may even lead to an accident at that very intersection, and this is part of the reason the intersections are seen as some of the most dangerous places that anyone can drive.
Knowing this, you can change your own phone habits in the car. Unfortunately, others are not going to do so and will continue causing accidents. If you’ve been injured by another distracted driver, then it’s very important to know how to seek financial compensation.