Are distracted drivers addicted to their phones?
Distracted driving takes many forms. A parent may be distracted by a child, for instance, or a driver may be distracted while simply changing the radio station. However, the main form of distraction in 2020 is the smartphone.
Why can’t we put the phone down?
It seems like an easy source of distraction to avoid. If you ask any driver if they should be taking a picture or checking their email while driving, they’ll tell you they shouldn’t. If you ask them if it’s wise to browse social media or write text messages behind the wheel, they’ll tell you it’s not. And yet, these exact things keep causing accidents. Why is this?
One major reason for those from 25 to 44 years old is simple phone addiction. One study said that two-thirds of people in this age group struggle with phone addiction, and the same is true for more than one-third of those between the ages of 45 and 70.
Addiction is the reason people can’t put the phone down. It’s the reason that they’ll do things that they know are risky, only regretting it when they cause a crash. From the outside, it’s easy to feel astonished when someone admits to distracted driving. But that driver probably knew it was a bad idea the whole time. They just couldn’t resist.
What options do you have?
Smartphones were designed to be addictive, and that’s not going to change. If you get injured in an accident, you need to know exactly what options you have to seek compensation.