Driving while talking on a cell phone, even hands-free, is the equivalent of driving drunk. Cellular use while driving is common, but dangerous. Due to the number of accidents that are related to cell phone use while driving, some jurisdictions have made the use of a cell phone while driving illegal. Drivers who use a handheld device are four times more likely to get into a crash serious enough to cause injury. At any given moment during the daylight hours, over 800,000 vehicles in the U.S. are being driven by someone using a handheld cell phone, according to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
You shouldn’t talk on your cell phone while driving because being distracted by a phone conversation is similar to driving while intoxicated. Talking on the phone while driving can cause you to react more slowly when an unexpected driving hazard emerges or perhaps to never see the hazard until it’s too late. Of all the distracted driving-related accidents, nearly 18% of them were caused by people being on their cell phones. Even if the driver wasn’t physically holding the cell phone but was on some sort of a hands-free device, he or she was still distracted from the surrounding environment, which led to accidents.
When you first get into your car, put your phone away. If that means putting it in your purse or pants pocket, or if you simply have to put it in the cup holder or glove box, do that. If you do receive a call or text message, don’t react to the phone. Just let it ring or make noises until you get to a place where you can safely pull over and respond to the calls and texts. Don’t text while driving. Yes, you may hear this from a lot of people on a frequent basis, but they are only giving you this advice because they care about you and want you to be safe. They also don’t want to see you get into serious trouble for causing a wreck because of distracted driving. Bottom line: use common sense and be safe while you are driving, and you shouldn’t encounter any legal problems.
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