A new study found that 70% of drivers admitted to recently having looked at or even used their phone while behind the wheel.
Around 3,142 people died in 2020 as a result of distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. You’ve probably seen other drivers on the road clearly not paying attention.
Advocates for Highway Safety and Selective Insurance found that seven out of 10 drivers have used a mobile device while behind the wheel over the last 90 days.
“It’s actually been shown that we become blind to many important factors and important events going on all around us,” Dr. David Diamond said.
Diamond is a psychology professor at the University of South Florida. As for what makes us want to pick up the phone? There’s been a lot of talk about dopamine. It literally triggers something in our brain that gives us a positive response.
“Well, it’s not just a positive response. First, we have this great curiosity that if someone is calling us, it’s potentially important. So, you got curiosity, but you’ve also got potential anxiety. So you are reluctant to let the phone continue to ring without answering it,” Diamond said.
Diamond recommends pulling over to take a call if you really need to. Others believe it’s time for wireless companies to come up with safer solutions to make phones inaccessible while driving.
Dr. Carlie Klauer with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute hopes more enforcement and hand-held cellphone bans will make a meaningful impact.
Read: Michigan House passes stricter distracted driving bills: What it includes