I ran into this post which disparages this very article today. Thought it worth adding. Takeaway: there is an uptick in traffic fatalities that seems to conform to the rise of smartphones. But overall, traffic fatalities have been on a steady trend downwards. That said, driving while texting is still bad.
My pebble watch is a huge deal for helping with driving, mostly because it means I can change music tracks and see/hang up on people or answer things in speaker with the tap of a real physical button. High recommend it to anyone, super cheap too since the company went bankrupt, which is sad. Best living company is garmin IMO, if you want to go that way.
Important article. Right now I just downloaded an app called TrueMotion to experiment with driving 100% phone-use free. I have to admit that I check my phone still while driving, and it's obviously a terrible habit. I'm just more terrified of other drivers.
Yeah that's the problem. We all are. None of us is aware of the limits of our own attention span. I use my podcast app while driving, and I answer phone calls, but I don't answer texts. I'll admit to reading them at red lights, but I don't really think that's a good idea either. There have been times when I'm reading a text and see a green light out of the corner of my eye, so I step on the gas only to realize it was the left turn arrow. I would say on my daily drive to work, which is 17 miles each way, I see at least 1 bonehead move by some asshole looking at a phone. I'm actually surprised the rate of accidents isn't higher.I'm just more terrified of other drivers.
I have similar rules that I follow the majority of the time, but then break them. I'll stupidly allow the hectic periods to swamp any sense of the larger picture. It's just an insane productivity gain to get things done while driving and, in the moment, the gains outweigh the risk. That said, I think adding a new level of resistance should go a long ways. Truly. Isn't even just talking on the phone the equivalent of having two drinks? And texting while driving the equivalent of BAC .1% drunk?I'm actually surprised the rate of accidents isn't higher.