Smartphones are certainly incredibly useful. In mere seconds, you can get directions to almost anywhere in the country, you can listen to audiobooks, you can connect with friends and you can carry out business meetings. The benefits are tremendous.
However, all of the apps that you use to do those things — and more, such as social media apps or games — are competing for your attention. The creators of these apps know it. One way that they’ve found to address this is by making the apps as addictive as they can and using things like push notifications to get your attention when you’re not on the phone. In other words, they’re actively designed to draw your attention and make you look at the screen.
The risk for drivers
There is a clear risk here for those who are driving. Someone may intend not to use the phone and find that their addiction is just too hard to overcome in the moment. They may get a push notification at a stoplight and decide it’s “safe enough” to check what it is, even though studies have found that the average person still suffers from distraction for nearly half a minute after putting the phone away again. It’s just not safe.
You must share the road with drivers who are addicted to their phones, along with other drivers who simply do not care and assume they can text and drive safely enough. Inevitably, these drivers are going to cause a lot of serious car accidents. If you’re injured in one of these accidents, it’s crucial for you to know about all of the legal options you have.