Is It Time Our Phones Had A ‘Driving Mode’? Or Should We Stop Relying On Technology And ALL Do Something About Distracted Driving?

This article has been written by Julie Farmer in support of Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Julie writes for eDriving FLEET, DriversEd.com and is editor of eDriving’s magazine website www.onemoresecond.net. She has been writing about driver safety for over a decade. If you have any comments or have a story to share about this topic, please send to email@edriving.com.

At the start of this year, we heard about a rumored new iPhone function known as ‘Theater Mode’.

Reports suggested the new function would make “the iPhone less distracting in the cinema” while critics posted comments such as “The sort of people who think it’s OK to use their phone in the cinema would probably find a way to be irritating in an enclosed space, with or without phones.”

As it turned out, Theater Mode was introduced only on the Apple Watch, but of greater interest to myself than the new mode itself, was the discussion it prompted. If there is demand for a Theater Mode to prevent distractions in cinemas, why aren’t we calling for a Driving Mode on phones, to prevent distractions in cars? We already have Flight Mode, and we don’t question using it. After all, would we want to risk taking a phone call that led to a plane carrying 250 people to fall from the sky?

Incidentally, as far as I’m aware, not a single plane crash has ever been attributed to interference from a passenger’s mobile phone, and I’ve never heard of a life being lost because of a text message notification during a movie. So, if Theater Mode is necessary to reduce the distractions caused by technology in theaters, isn’t it a matter of urgency that we have the option to cut out distractions on our phones while driving?

Then I realized something. We do have that option. Every time any one of us gets behind the wheel, we can choose to leave our phones beside us, where they have the potential to distract us at any second. OR, we can put our phones on silent and turn off notifications. Even better, we can put our phones completely out of sight.

So, why are so many of us making the wrong decisions when we get in the car?

At eDriving, we’ve talked before about teens having a Fear of Missing Out, with research showing that an “always-on” lifestyle has manifested itself in dangerous driving behavior. But, distracted driving is not exclusive to teens. Research has found that more than 2 in 3 drivers report talking on a cell phone while driving, and more than 2 in 5 admit reading a text message or email while driving. No matter how good we think we are at multi-tasking, researchers tell us there’s no such thing and that, in fact, human brains DO NOT perform two tasks at the same time.

We all KNOW we shouldn’t use our mobile phones while driving. Something else we KNOW is that the problem is getting worse. The 2016 preliminary road traffic fatality statistics were released in February and were shocking. After declining for most of the last decade, as many as 40,000 people died in road traffic crashes last year. That’s a 6 percent increase over 2015 and a 14 percent increase over 2014 – the biggest two-year increase since 1964. An estimated 4.6 million people were injured seriously enough to require medical attention.

Of course, we don’t know exactly how many road fatalities are caused as a direct result of distracted driving. But we DO know that, in 19 out of 20 collisions, there’s something that at least one driver could have done to prevent the crash.

So, what can we do about it? The answer is that we can ALL start doing something about it. Drivers, parents, friends and family members, law enforcers, driving instructors and technology companies. We all have a part to play in the fight against distracted driving.
Drivers, it’s time to make the right choice and put that phone away. There’s no phone call or text message worth risking your life for.

Parents, you need to set a good example to your children. We know that kids observe their parents’ behavior, so make it your mission to be a great role model. We have tools that can help your teen resist using their phone while driving.

Friends and family members, speak out! If you’re in a car with someone who is texting, let them know it makes you uncomfortable. If you know your partner is on his or her way home, don’t phone to find out what time they’ll be back.

Driving instructors, we need you to use your skills, experience and great ability at communicating with students to communicate the dangers of distracted driving, something all eDriving’s professional instructors do. Too many students – and their parents – see driving lessons as a ‘route to passing the driving test’. Instead, driving lessons should be regarded as an opportunity for novice drivers to learn the skills they need for a lifetime of safe driving.

Law enforcers, give us tougher distracted driving laws! In January, a law came into force in California which made it an offense to drive while holding and operating a cell phone or electronic communications device. We need it to be illegal, everywhere, to use a phone while driving – and for doing so to be a primary offense.

Technology companies, we LOVE your products. In fact, we love our mobile devices so much that we struggle to put them down, even when we really know we should. Yes, we have the option to put our phones away while driving, we can tell our kids not to use their phones, our friends and family members can help us out, driving instructors can teach us about the risks, law enforcers might even make it illegal to use our phones while driving. But it comes down to this. If our technology-obsessed lifestyles mean we need help managing our addictions to electronic devices in a movie theater and on a plane, isn’t it about time we had some support with combatting our phone obsessions while we’re driving?

These pleas are not new. In November last year, the NHTSA released proposed guidelines encouraging phone manufacturers to introduce features such as Driver Mode. At eDriving, we’re adding our voice to this call. The technology is already there. Let’s use it to make a difference on our roads and put a stop to distracted driving.

Looking to clear a traffic ticket and learn how to be a defensive driver? Click here.

Find out about our online drivers education courses or professional in-car driving lessons.