“Don’t use your phone while driving.” You’ve probably heard this many times, spoken as if obeying that alone will make you a safer driver. Yet many people take that to mean don’t hold your phone while driving. They think using your phone via a hands-free or Bluetooth system makes it all OK. It doesn’t.
Part of the problem with distracted driving is that people do not realize when they are distracted and how they can get distracted. Take phone use, for example.
1. Physical distraction
If you hold your phone to your ear or in front of your face, you need to use a hand to do so. That hand is then not able to grip the steering wheel as it should – that’s a physical distraction.
2. Visual distraction
One of the good things about Bluetooth phone systems is that you don’t need to be able to see the phone to use it. You can technically keep your eyes free to stay searching for danger on the road around you. The reality is often somewhat different – as people instead stare at the screen the phone displays on, rather than the phone itself. Every second your eyes are not on the road is a second you could miss something vital.
3. Cognitive distraction
While it is possible to use your phone while still keeping both eyes on the wheel and both eyes on the road, it is impossible to do so without taking your mind off the road. Your brain needs to process the conversation you are having or the message or email that is being read to you. That reduces its ability to process what is happening on the road, possibly leading to a catastrophic delay in decision-making.
Now you understand the three forms of distraction, you can see how many other things can also distract you in one or more of these ways. If someone injures you in a collision, getting help to examine whether they were distracted could strengthen your compensation claim.