Drivers are not supposed to use their phones in the car, and they know it. Distracted driving is a very common reason for car accidents, and it leads to injuries and fatalities every year. Drivers are supposed to put their phones down and focus on the road.
Needless to say, many of them do not do it. Some drivers cause accidents, demonstrating exactly why cellphone distraction is so dangerous. But it’s also easy to see distracted drivers every time you’re at an intersection. Just look at the cars around you, and odds are that someone will be on their phone while they wait for the light to change. If distracted driving is so dangerous, why are drivers so addicted to their phones that they just can’t stop?
It’s not just drivers
The thing to remember is that it’s not just drivers who are addicted to their phones: Everyone is. Phones have been designed this way intentionally. They tap into your dopamine response. Every time you get a notification or have an online interaction, it can create this burst of dopamine. This means that you eventually get addicted to those notifications. An example is a driver who feels their phone buzz in their pocket and just can’t help but take it out and check the notification.
There are some researchers who claim that cellphone addiction is so bad that it rivals illegal drugs like cocaine or legal substances like cigarettes. Someone who is suffering from phone addiction may feel just as powerless as someone under the grip of illegal substances.
This means that distracted driving is likely to continue as long as phones are designed this way. Those injured in accidents caused by distracted drivers must know how to seek financial compensation.