Tuesday, March 19 2024

A vechicle lies tragically crumpled on the bitumen, still smoking, whole
families destroyed, young lives cut short. This is not the trailer for a
war movie, but a sad everyday reality; that of road accidents. In fact,
ever greater numbers of people are losing their lives on the road, mainly
due to brief distractions while driving, in particular involving cell phone
use.


Cell phones and driving: the tragic numbers of a worldwide problem

The Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Graziano Delrio,
recently announced that 80% of road accidents in Italy are caused by the
use of smartphones. In practice, 8 out of 10 people lose their lives to
read a text message, tap out a quick message on WhatsApp, or to read a
notification on Facebook. This figure is astonishing, and cause for
reflection.

But this sad statistic does not just apply to Italy. In Europe the
situation is equally serious. It is still a long way from


The European Union’s 2020 Road Safety Targets


, which aim to drastically diminish within this decade the number of
victims of road accidents. The numbers are yet again cruel. In 2015, around
26,302 people died on roads throughout the European Union. Wartime numbers.
Among the top causes, in addition to drink driving and excessive speed, is
always the misuse of mobile phones while driving.

The situation in the USA is also equally alarming, despite extremely strict
legislation which considers equally dangerous those who drive while on a
cell phone as those who consume alcohol. But the very heavy penalties
obviously have not been enough of a detterent and reduce the number of road
accidents, which rose sharply by more than 8% in 2015 alone.

To try to address the problem, the State of New York has recently
introduced the Textalyzer, a kind of alcohol test for cell phones,
which are able to measure, so to speak, the messaging rate of those at the
wheel. The operation of this new device is very simple. In case of a
traffic accident, a police officer requests use of the phone and uses the
Textalyzer to enter the operating system and verify the most recent
activities carried out by the driver. The instrument is able, in fact, to
determine when and how the driver has used their smartphone. A refusal to
relinquish a smartphone will result in immediate licence disqualification.

The Textalyzer is still in trial phase, but if it proves successful, its
use may be extended to the rest of the United States, and could even spread
to Latin America or Europe.


Using your phone while driving: what scientific research reveals

Statistical data on the misuse of digital tools when driving is also
supported by many neuroscientists. According to recent research, those who
use a smartphone while driving have a statistical risk of causing a car
crash four times higher than average. In fact, the risk even surpasses
those who are intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

Furthermore, the laboratory of



Applied Cognitive Science at the University of Utah



have been investigating for some time, with special virtual driving
simulators, the real impact of smartphone and tablets on driver performance
and road safety. The results are shocking.

The results reveal a genuine ‘inattention-blindness’ , which drastically
increases the reaction time and the capacity in the face of an unexpected
event such as a sudden braking or steering. In practice, the technological
display screen causes a sensory drowsiness, particularly a visual one,
lowering our capacity to pay attention whilst driving.

The research did not not prove the same effect – for example – from
listening to the radio. A very loud alarm bell that should provoke serious
reflection on the use of digital technologies whilst driving.


Punishment and campaigns aren’t enough: media education is needed

Of course, beyond this data and scientific research, the fact is that cell
phones can also effect our emotions – and thus actions and behavior behind
the wheel, to the point of not being able to resist the temptation to read
immediately the latest notification, and so putting lives in danger.

In past years, many information and prevention campaigns have run; for
example in

Italy

,

Britain

and

Mexico

.

However, if neither laws with severe penalties nor awareness campaigns are
enough, maybe it is time to begin media education courses in schools,
libraries, universities, hospitals, and even in the workplace, to help
people acquire accurate knowledge regarding the use of tablets and phones.
To learn how to manage our relationship with technology in a healthy way,
with balance and intelligence – and avoiding excesses of use and unhealthy
addictions. In short – a media detox, starting with the creation of good
digital resolutions. These may save our lives and those of our families.

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