Study Shows A Relation Between Phone Distraction and Lack of Wearing A Seatbelt

Compare.com did a study to find a correlation between distracted driving with a cellphone and not wearing a seatbelt. Statistics from Compare.com say, "Did you know the average American spends over five hours a day on their smartphone? According to a recent study on smartphone usage, the average user checks their phone over 60 times a day...Phone addiction can lead to sleep loss, mental health issues, and risky behavior, such as texting while driving." For those of us who actually make sure we are safe at all times while driving, these few, but serious statistics must be mind-boggling. For those who would love to read the full study report, click here to check it out.

What Was Understood

As for the study that was conducted, there were several great things that were taken and understood. For instance "91% of millennials felt at least moderately addicted to their smartphones." I can say although I am not addicted to my smartphone, I do enjoy using it to pass time in the boring increments of the day. But it is more or less educational due to the content I follow up on. Another thing that stood out is "51% of very phone-addicted drivers admitted to using social media while driving." To me, this is preposterous. In a perfect world, the number would be 0%. Not only would I not want to put myself in harm's way as well as others, but the fines and penalties for being on mobile devices while driving are quite serious. Now, this one statistic, "Extreme phone addicts were the least likely to wear seatbelts. They were also five times more likely to speed up at yellow lights and eight times more likely to roll through stop signs." My thoughts just exploded and the single phrase I could utter was along the lines of "What the heck?" No. Seriously. Putting a seatbelt on is not that difficult of a task. Not wearing one is not a so-called "flex." And speeding up at yellow lights and rolling through stop signs is dangerous. Accidents can happen and they can be very serious. It is not a laughing matter. I know someone who does this, and I still yell at this person for this every time I ride with them. Makes me not want to ride with them. But I usually drive myself now. The last thing that stood out for the study on Compare.com is that "49% of phone addicts noticed more road rage during the past year, compared to only 6% of regular phone users." Road rage has been a serious issue. Mainly because when people get heated, they tend to have tunnel vision and have no sense of awareness or lack of thought or awareness. Things can go from 0 to 100 really quickly and as we have seen before, people have been killed in many ways due to road rage. All of this is unacceptable.

Across Generations With Device Addiction

Compare.com says, "According to our research, more than 1 in 4 respondents felt very addicted to their smartphones, and the younger they were, the more they used their phone and the more addicted they felt. Only 24% of baby boomers said they use their phone for five or more hours each day, compared to 42% of millennials. Also, 91% of millennials felt moderately to very addicted to their phones, while 75% of baby boomers felt the same. Many Americans using their phones for five or more hours a day appeared aware that it’s a problem...Overall, around 60% of respondents felt moderately addicted to their smartphone. They knew they sometimes spend too much time on their phone, but believed it hasn’t yet become a full-blown addiction." In my eyes, these numbers are sad. But maybe I could be looking at it in the wrong light. Some people use their phones to escape reality or something else. It is a new world now and technology is rapidly expanding. Everyone has some sort of fix. But it can become dangerous like everything else.

Habits of Driving In The States

Compare.com reported, "Our study delved into how often Americans drive and how they use their phones while driving on a daily basis. 70% of our respondents spent less than 45 minutes in the car each day. The youngest drivers spent the most time in the car, with around 42% of Gen Zers driving 45+ minutes each day. Urban residents also spent more time driving than suburban and rural drivers...Almost 4 in 10 drivers would take a phone call while driving. This was especially true if it was a relative on the line, since over 50% of drivers believed a family call qualifies as an emergency notification. Highly addicted drivers were more than twice as likely as moderately addicted drivers to message or text while driving (51% versus 23%). And a shocking 51% of very addicted drivers admitted to using social media while driving, compared to only 19% of the moderately addicted. Zero non-addicted drivers admitted to using social media in the car." This is where I get upset. Sure, people spend a lot of their time in the car going places, be it work or school, or even to a friend's house. But it is never ok to be on your phone while driving. As I was taught in school, pull over if you really need to use your phone. That way you're not mobile while you use your mobile. Get it? Anywho. To see anything over 0% is upsetting. I know of a woman who lost her daughter while texting and driving. And this young girl was supposedly a highly-educated person. It is al around tragic and was 100% preventable. That is why I get upset at statistics and knowing this is an issue. I am passionate about it. As for answering calls, I am all for the greatness of Bluetooth connectivity or hands-free driving. But to hold the phone is very distracting while you talk. I know people though who Skype while they drive just either not talking at all and occasionally looking at the person on the screen or having a conversation while driving and still looking at the screen. It is a pet peeve of mine and it is still a big no-no in all aspects.

The Big Reveal

Compare.com found that "About 20% of phone addicts admitted they are unlikely to wear a seat belt." That is 20% too many for those not putting on a seatbelt. The task is so simple, it can be done in one's sleep. It is literally moving your one arm diagonally back and forth and grabbing a piece of metal attached to the belt and clicking it in where it is supposed to go. It is faster than starting up the car or closing the door. And what about the chime of the fasten seatbelt warning? Are they not annoying enough? I am looking at you, Toyota and BMW. Seriously. This is completely unacceptable and I am ashamed of those who do not wear their seatbelt. You're putting your life in danger and if you don't survive the accident, think about your family as well as those also who will be affected. And if you still don't get it, your license should be revoked and you'd be forced to ride public transportation.

Conclusion

From what I read, I am disgusted and disappointed by those who are guilty of using their phones as well as not wearing their seatbelts while driving. One thing it says about the person is that they do not care about their personal safety which means they don't care about others. It especially hits close to home because I know someone who went through the worst-case scenario. Distracted driving while not wearing a seatbelt. And she was the only one on the road. You think it won't happen to you, then before you know it, you'll be wishing it wasn't. I only mean this is to inform you and give you my take on this situation. Just put your seatbelt on and put the phone down. It can wait.

Follow Up On

To find out more about this study by Compare.com, click here to see the rest of the results as well as the full results. I highly recommend it.

I would like to take a moment and thank Compare.com for allowing me to report on this study. I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to working together on more studies in the future.

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