The Schafer Law Office

Safe Drivers Avoid Distractions

Nowadays, cell phones are a major factor in distracting drivers while driving.  Answering a phone or sending a text message is just like driving while drunk and are considered as the top most distractions in driving while actions such as eating or adjusting radio are listed as the least. 

There are reports from the U.S. Department of Transportation that more than 5,400 people nationwide were killed and another 448,000 injured in distracted driving-related crashes last year.  These fatal accidents mostly involve use of cell phones. 

Try driving while texting.  You will probably notice that it takes seconds to send a text message and those seconds equates the time that you took off your eyes on the road.  Doesn’t this worry you? You are putting yourself at risk and those other people out there.

Many people declare that answering or talking on a phone while driving is not big deal because it’s just so easy to handle once you get used to it. But researches and experiments were done and concluded that there is a factor of the brain, wherein it processes how we perceive objects in space, decreases while conversing on a phone.  This is because as the brain receives more inputs it experiences more activity.  And of course, as the receiver, you’ll surely participate in the conversation because if not, you’ll be interpreted as rude. 

So, if you’re in a situation that your phone is ringing while you’re driving, you better choose whether to ignore it or explain to the caller that you’re driving and you’ll just give him a return call once you arrive at your destination point.