The most common advice given to stop distracted driving is generally pretty simple: Put the phone down when you’re driving. And yet people continue to use their phones behind the wheel day after day, and they cause a lot of traumatic accidents.
If this is an easy problem to fix, why does it seem so difficult? The answer lies in addiction. People know they shouldn’t pick up the phone while driving. They just can’t help it.
Cellular phones are intentionally addictive
What you must remember is that the goal for all app designers is to get you to spend as much time on those apps as you can. That’s why they want to send you notifications for everything that happens. That’s why you get push notifications if you haven’t picked your phone up in a while. These phones are intentionally addictive because more use leads to more ad revenue or in-app purchases.
From a safety standpoint, one could argue that experiencing this addiction in your own home — which is what the designers want — is relatively safe. But you can’t just turn off that addiction when you get in the car. It’s still there. You want to use your phone, even though you know it’s not safe. As soon as you hear that buzzing or beeping sound, your addiction takes over and you pick up the phone.
Have you been injured by a distracted driver?
Learning about phone addiction may help you break it or avoid it, but that’s only half of the equation. No matter how responsible you are while driving, you could still get hit by a distracted driver. If that happens, you may need to seek compensation for your injuries and other losses. An attorney can help you learn more.