Gif of a guy playing flute while in traffic
As you drive to and from work, running errands and shuttling the kids to school, you’ve probably seen your fair share of drivers doing really dumb things while driving. From women trying to put on mascara while doing 70 mph on the freeway, to men changing into T-shirts and shorts while behind the wheel, there is no shortage of doofus driver decisions.
Many of the dangerous decisions people make while driving share one thing in common: a smartphone. For instance, check out the following four unsafe tasks drivers will attempt with their phones while driving:
Texting while driving
There’s a reason why those gruesome commercials starring distracted and texting teens hurtling through windshields are on the air so often. Despite the warnings, people continue to text and drive. As Driving Tests notes, while you might be tempted to read or send a quick text while on the road, there are many good reasons not to take part in this risky behavior.
In addition to probably being illegal, your insurance rates will go through the roof if you get a ticket for texting and driving. And if you won’t consider your own safety, think about your passengers. Your kids, friends, spouse and co-workers are far more important than any text you could read or send on the road. To avoid temptation, it’s best to keep your smartphone in your pocket, purse, or plain out of sight.
Facebooking while driving
As a study conducted by AT&T notes, 4 in 10 smartphone users confessed to using social media while driving. Of these sites, Facebook is No. 1 in popularity, with more than a quarter of respondents admitting to using the app while behind the wheel. Similarly, around 1 in 7 drivers are tweeting on the road.
When asked why they would rather see their friends’ inane posts about what they ate for breakfast that morning instead of focusing on driving, 22 percent of drivers said they were addicted to social media. Needless to say, this is an addiction that should definitely be broken. Like texting, browsing on Facebook takes your eyes off the road and can easily result in a tragic and even fatal accident.
Snapping selfies while driving
Another common smartphone-while-driving activity is taking selfies.
The same AT&T poll found that 17 percent of people say they have done this at least once. In addition to requiring drivers to fiddle with their smartphones to set up the camera, it also means they are looking at the camera and not the road while making their best duck face, ever. Chances are good that once this unsafe selfie is taken, the driver will go one step further and post it on social media, meaning he or she is distracted from driving for even longer.
Talking on Skype and FaceTime while driving
Many states have banned using a smartphone to talk while driving unless you are using a hands-free Bluetooth device. But this does not seem to be stopping some drivers from engaging in video chat while on the road. As Digital Trends notes, 10 percent say they have used Skype or FaceTime while driving. Many people use these tools to see loved ones during their conversations, but when driving, chances are they aren’t looking at the road, which is a recipe for disaster.
Source: Social Monsters