What Are the Hazards of Answering Phone Calls While Driving?
3 Answers
The hazards of answering phone calls while driving include: distraction, which weakens one's ability to respond to emergencies; a higher risk of traffic accidents compared to normal conditions; and reduced traffic efficiency for other vehicles, exacerbating road congestion. More details are as follows: 1. The most significant hazard is driver distraction: The primary danger of answering phone calls while driving is not the inability to hold the steering wheel with both hands, but rather that it easily distracts the driver, significantly impairing their reaction time. Under normal driving conditions, the average reaction time to an emergency is 0.57 seconds, whereas when using a phone while driving, this time increases to 2.12 seconds—nearly four times longer. This clearly demonstrates that phone use severely diminishes a driver's reaction capability. 2. At traffic lights: In recent years, more and more drivers tend to check their phones while waiting at red lights. When the light turns green, these drivers often only realize it after hearing honks from cars behind them. A delay of one or two seconds per vehicle might seem insignificant. However, if the drivers of the first few cars in line are all distracted by their phones and start moving slightly slower, it inevitably reduces the overall traffic flow efficiency of the entire lane. This, in turn, slows down vehicle passage at intersections, worsening congestion across the city's road network.
A few days ago, I answered a work call while driving and almost rear-ended the car in front. Taking a call slows reaction time by at least 30%, equivalent to driving under the influence. I clearly saw the brake lights of the car ahead, but my foot was a second slower to hit the brake, which gave me a cold sweat. What's worse, it narrows your field of vision. Once while turning, I was busy with a call and completely missed an electric bike on the side. Now I keep my phone charging in the back seat. If it's urgent, I'll find a safe spot to pull over and handle it.
Last week, while driving my child to school, I answered a phone call and instantly understood why the law prohibits this. The hand holding the phone simply couldn't steer in time, and controlling the car with one hand makes it particularly prone to veering off course. Once, I nearly scraped against a guardrail, and my child in the back seat burst into tears. When the phone rings, people instinctively look down—just those two seconds at 60 km/h mean the car can travel 33 meters. Now, I simply turn off my phone; no call is more important than safety.
