It’s very clear that cellphone distraction causes accidents. Drivers need to have their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. Holding the phone and looking down at the screen makes it impossible to do both of these things, making it one of the most distracting activities a driver can engage in.
As a result, holding a phone to use it has been outlawed in Tennessee, along with most other states. Even so, drivers continue to do it, and they continue to cause accidents. Why doesn’t changing the law get people to stop, and why don’t the statistics about distracted driving accidents seem to have any impact on the rate of distracted driving?
The role of addiction
Perhaps the biggest reason for this is simply that cellphones can be addicting and many of these behaviors happen almost on autopilot. A person hears their phone buzz, and they pick it up to check the notification or the text message. They don’t even take the time to think about how safe it is. They just react.
Even in cases where the person might initially try to refrain from using their phone, if they are actually addicted, it may not take long for them to give in to that impulse. For instance, people often try to check their phone at red lights, even though studies have shown that you’re still distracted for nearly half a minute after doing so.
Have you been injured?
As long as people are going to continue being distracted by cellphones, injuries and car accidents are going to keep happening. Those who have suffered serious injuries need to know how to seek financial compensation.
