Can That Distracted Phone Call Wait

Speed kills, as does driving under the influence. But did you know that phoning while driving or distracted driving kills, too? According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA), driving is a complex task that requires full attention and focus. A higher concentration level is critical in a lower-income country, where numerous contending issues affect safe driving.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), safe driving involves prioritising safe roads, speeds, vehicles, and road users and avoiding driving under the influence of alcohol or other psychoactive substances. In a technology-driven world, the attraction of seamless and constant communication is undeniable.

Mobile phones have become indispensable tools in our daily lives. However, with the increasing use of mobile phones, many drivers have started using them while behind the wheel. This deadly distraction has been discussed several times on this page.

For the umpteenth time, I must raise the alarm again that driving and phoning are risky behaviours that have unleashed devastating consequences on drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Mobile phones’ convenience is clouded by their dark side, particularly when they overlap with driving.

As I said earlier, using a phone while driving poses a significant and fatal risk. The dangers of driving and phoning are numerous. They impact reaction times, cognitive focus, and overall situational awareness, among other things.

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So what are the statistics? The numbers globally are staggering. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), using a mobile phone while driving increases the risk of a crash by four times. In the United States alone, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2019, distracted driving claimed the lives of 3,600 people and injured an estimated 391,000.
In 2021, distracted driving, including cell phone use, caused 3,522 deaths and 362,415 injuries in the same United States of America. The record for Great Britain is not different. In 2022, distracted driving caused 22 deaths and 674 injuries. The Nigerian case is no different.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has also reported a significant increase in road crashes attributed to distracted driving. The Corps has warned that using mobile phones while driving is a major contributor and has urged drivers to refrain from using them.

Let us now deal with what makes driving and phoning so deadly. I will start with the degradation of reaction time, which refers to the interval between a driver recognising a hazard and initiating a response such as braking or steering. This is crucial in safe driving but is often impaired by factors such as fatigue, alcohol, and distracted driving, which is our focus today.
When a driver’s attention is distracted by a phone call, text message, or interaction with the Google app, which is in vogue, his ability to respond to unexpected events diminishes. Numerous studies have concluded that using a phone while driving slows reaction times more than driving under the influence of alcohol.

One such study concludes that a man driving and phoning is worse than one who has taken an alcoholic beverage above the alcohol limit. This delay, of a fraction of a second, can affect your ability to avoid a collision. A second’s distraction can translate to greater distances travelled without proper control at higher speeds, which most drivers are guilty of. This makes sudden braking far less effective.

I listed the cognitive distractions imposed by phone use as another danger. Driving requires the interplay of visual, auditory, and cognitive processing. Phone conversations divide a driver’s mental resources, making him less capable of processing critical information from his surroundings.

This cognitive strain impairs the ability to recognise and respond to hazards, such as pedestrians, cyclists, or changes in traffic flow. Reading or composing a text message compounds this. It requires the driver to completely shift their focus away from the road, creating a “blind spot” that extends far beyond the vehicle’s physical limitations.

I know many drivers fool themselves with the illusion that they can multitask. This illusion of multitasking is dangerous. I have friends who boast that they can drive, phone, and even indulge in other risky driving behaviours. They brag that they can do everything while behind the wheel, under the false sense that it can never happen to me. Studies show that the brain cannot perform two complex tasks simultaneously, such as driving and phoning, without one suffering, which often results in fatal incidents.

Studies indicate that emotional and psychological aspects of phone use contribute to the overall danger. Emotional or heated conversations further distract the driver and impair their judgment. Even the anxiety of responding to a message or missing a call creates undue stress and diverts attention from safe driving. There is also the social pressure to remain constantly connected, as drivers feel compelled to respond immediately, even when behind the wheel.

Some boast that hands-free devices have solved the problem. The truth is that rather than solving the problem, it created a false sense of security and safety, which is better captured by the Corps’ acronym, RAIDS (Road accident immune delusion syndrome). Let’s agree that these devices eliminate physical holding of the phone, but do not solve the cognitive distraction. A further truth is that hands-free conversation is as deadly as handheld. Engaging in a conversation regardless of the method distracts, diverts, and impairs situational awareness and reaction times. So, if you are one of those who brag about the technological advancement of your inbuilt device, please think again, as the real issue is not the physical act of holding the phone but the cognitive distraction it creates.

The madness called driving and phoning has devastating consequences. Road traffic crashes caused by this risky driving behaviour have caused avoidable deaths and injuries among others. This is aside from the emotional trauma on victims as well as the economic cost not just to families but to the health sector and the nation at large, in addition to lost productivity, and legal fees.

How do we address this issue, which is common to drivers, riders, and pedestrians? Even hawkers have joined the train. Let me start with the counsel of the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, who harps on personal safety and responsibility. What this means is that the most critical and practical test is individual drivers’ recognition of the dangers of phone use and its effect on their individual safety.

At the government level, the Corps, as the lead agency in tackling this challenge, adopts a multifaceted approach. Education and awareness campaigns top the bill in highlighting the dangers of distracted driving.

In the words of Adrian Walsh of RoadSafe, United Kingdom, education holds the key to all road safety challenges. However, enforcement is also crucial. Observers opine that stricter enforcement and legislation are vital to changing the rising cases of this deadly infraction. Technological solutions such as driving mode features and app restrictions are also vital. All the listed factors rest on the government through the responsible agency, except for personal safety and responsible driving.