One of the most common excuses that texting drivers use is that they didn’t think the text would take long. They know, of course, that they shouldn’t have the phone out for the entire drive. But responding to one text message during a 30-minute commute? That often seems “safe enough.”
The problem may be that they don’t realize just how far they travel while sending that message. If you think of it that way, the danger becomes clear.
For instance, it can take around 4.6 seconds to interact with a text. That’s an average, and it’s based on both writing an outgoing message or reading an incoming one. If a driver is going along at 55 miles per hour while doing so, they can drive about 100 yards.
Now imagine that your car is parked at the end of a football field. On that field are pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers in their own cars. If someone got into the car, blindfolded you, and then told you to just drive to the other side of the football field, would you do it? Most of us would be utterly terrified.
But it’s no different, really, than looking at your phone while driving. Thinking of it in this context just makes it clear that doing so is not safe.
Thankfully, more and more drivers are beginning to realize this, and maybe you’re one of them. You never text while driving. That’s a start, but you need to make sure you know how to seek financial compensation if you get hit by someone who does.