All too often we find ourselves in a situation where our phone rings while we’re driving and we just want to look at who’s calling or texting us for a second. We usually want to send a quick reply right away, but this kind of distraction from what’s happening in traffic can have disastrous consequences.
A study by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) showed that in 2016, 3,450 people died in the US due to impaired driving.
Image source: AVP
The Public Agency for Traffic Safety of the Republic of Slovenia (AVP) also began drawing attention to the issue of using mobile phones while driving last year with an intensive media campaign, highlighting this issue as one of the agency’s priorities in the future.
Additionally, the AVP warns that using a phone while driving is the same as if the driver had 0.8 per mille of alcohol in their blood.
Despite the fact that the legislation itself prohibits the use of devices while driving that can reduce the driver’s perception of traffic events, AVP reports that despite the legislation, as many as 75% of drivers in Slovenia still use mobile phones while driving.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
1. Put your phone in the storage compartment
This way, every time your phone beeps, your attention won’t be distracted, you’ll stay focused and check your messages or answer calls when you’re safely stopped.
2. Hands-free calling
Hands-free calling allows you to make calls with slightly less distraction from traffic, but it also reduces our perception of our surroundings and traffic.
3. Use an app that prevents phone use
There are already a number of apps on the market that prevent drivers from using their phones while driving. It is important to note that the use of such apps still depends on the willingness of drivers to use them.
4. Let’s learn about the consequences of using a mobile phone while driving
None of the solutions presented above will work without the cooperation of drivers and their awareness of how dangerous it is to use it while driving. Therefore, it is important to increase awareness of how using mobile phones while driving endangers ourselves and others.
5. Use systems that warn us of traffic hazards
According to NHTSA, 80% of all traffic accidents occur due to a decrease in attention behind the wheel in the last 3 seconds before the accident. Traffic hazard warning systems, such as Mobileye, play an important role in preventing such accidents. When such a system detects a hazard, it triggers audible and visual warnings that draw the driver’s attention back to the road. Mobileye warns drivers of a collision with a vehicle, motorcycle, cyclist or pedestrian, of an unintentional lane change, an appropriate safety distance and speed limits. At the same time, systems like Mobileye do not succumb to the temptation to answer a call or text message.
You can read more about Mobileye systems here >>>
