Pursuing Justice For Over 30 Years

Phones continue to distract drivers after they put them down

On Behalf of | Jul 17, 2022 | Auto Accidents

Have you ever checked your phone while stopped at the lights? Not only is it dangerous, but it is also illegal in California.

Most people know that it is dangerous to use a phone while in motion, but they don’t realize that the same holds true when they’re paused in traffic. Here is why it is such a problem:

You might not see a potential hazard

Let’s say you pick up your phone, check a text, send a quick email or catch the latest football score. You realize the light is about to change, put the phone down and pull away when it turns green. It sounds fine, but what did you miss while staring at the screen?

If you remain looking at the road around you rather than your phone, you can build up a more complete picture of the road before you pull off. It allows you to notice potential dangers and delay pulling away where necessary.

You continue to think about your phone

According to one survey, you typically still think about what you saw on your phone for almost half a minute. Maybe you are wondering how to reply to the text you read or how on earth your team threw away a great lead again.

So even if you pull away from the lights without incident, you are still at an increased risk of crashing for the next few hundred meters.

Hopefully, you never pick your phone up at the lights. Yet many drivers do, and one might crash into you. Getting legal help to show they were still distracted by their phone could help you get the compensation you need if injured in a car crash.