Phones & Driving

Driving while engaged in any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. When drivers read or send a text message, their reaction time is doubled. When asked to respond to a flashing light while texting behind the wheel, drivers were more than 11 times more likely to miss the light altogether. In the United States, automobile crashes due to distracted driving are increasing. The leading cause of distracted driving is cell phones In 2015, six hundred and sixty thousand drivers in the United States were estimated to use cell phones each day, while driving behind the wheel during daylight hours. Cell phone use while driving has become a leading cause of vehicle crashes over the last two decades. Using a cell phone while driving increases the driver's risk of causing a crash. Drivers are distracted, decreasing the driver's awareness on the road, leading to more car crashes. When drivers talk on cell phones the risk of an automobile crash resulting in hospitalization is four times higher than when not talking on a cell phone. Drivers who text when behind the wheel, are twenty-three times more likely to have an automobile crash. One out of every four automobile crashes in the United States are caused by texting while driving. Some states have implemented laws in regards to using cell phones while driving, there is more to be done. Driving while using a hands free cellular device is not safer than using a hand held cell phone, as concluded by case-crossover studies, epidemiological, simulation, and meta-analysis. The increased cognitive workload involved in holding a conversation, not the use of hands, causes the increased risk.