Distracted driving has become one of the leading causes of car accidents the world over including India, with cell phone use being one of the main distractions drivers deal with on the road. Whether they’re sending a text, answering a call, scrolling through social media, or watching a video, by taking their focus off the road, they’re putting other drivers at risk. N Chandra Shekar throws light on the dangerous habit of using cell phones while driving…
How much of an impact do cell phones make in regards to accidents in India? To see the impact of these distracted drivers, take a look at some of these facts: A total of 1,997 road accidents occurred in 2021 due to the use of mobile phones while driving, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) report titled ‘Road accidents in India–2021’. Of these road accidents, as many as 1,040 people lost their lives. In 2021, India witnessed a tragic loss of 18 lives every hour due to road accidents; speeding, mobile phone use being prime causes. Among the type of traffic violations that caused road mishaps, use of mobile phones recorded the maximum increase over the one-year period. While in India, an estimated 1.35 lakhs person died due to road accidents, which is approximately 10% of road accident fatalities worldwide and these figures are the highest in the world. According to the 2022 edition of the International Road Federation’s World Road Statistics, the number of road accident-related deaths per 100,000 population varies between 0 and 39.4. For India, it is 9.5. While this figure is not the highest globally, it is still not the lowest.
In India every year nearly 1.4 million people have been killed because they are wireless customers and their over-bearing cell phones. The use of smartphones is rapidly growing around the world. This is happening because several apps are making ordinary tasks easier and faster. For instance, people can order food, go shopping, pay bills, practice exercises, go to the doctor, or event pick up their lab exams with just a few clicks. Today’s mobile phone has many features besides talking or sending messages. All its possibilities are making people more and more attracted to the benefits of the digital world, regardless of the risks they may cause. Digital distraction is a term that defines the use of electronic devices by motorists during driving on the roads. While smartphones can save time and solve pedestrian’s demands more quickly, they can cause accidents by dividing the attention between the phone and the driving task. A previous study showed that multitasking with smartphones has different psychological determinants than other forms of multitasking. While people seem to understand the risks of assessing their smartphones on traffic, they cannot avoid using the device while driving cars or crossing the streets.
The use of mobile phones among drivers has become a great risk to traffic safety during the past few years. Using mobile phones during driving continues to claim lives. Drivers who use their cell phone while driving are causing growing number of accidents each year. Some two-wheeler riders stick their phones in their helmets, others have them on their handlebars, the smarter ones use ear buds, drivers in cars use WiFi. Using the phone while driving/riding is an epidemic, though it is a punishable offence. Every year, this habit causes growing number of road accidents. Texting while driving is more dangerous than drunk driving—in fact, texting while driving is six times more dangerous. Although any use of cell phones can be distracting, research has shown time and time again that the riskiest thing you could do while operating a vehicle is to be text messaging. Your eyes are taken off the road for about five seconds each time you send a text message. That doesn’t seem like much— but if you drive 80 kmph, that means your eyes are off the road for 100 meters. Even teens, who are the most inexperienced drivers, know the dangers of distracted driving. Ninety-four percent of teenagers agreed that it is not safe to use a cell phone while driving, but 35 percent of them admitted that they do so anyway. It’s no secret that distracted driving is dangerous, but before getting behind the wheel, many drivers fail to put down their cell phones.
You slow down your reaction time whenever you ask your brain to switch back and forth between two tasks — driving and using a cell phone in this case. Therefore, if you use a cell phone while driving, you will not be able to react as quickly as you would if you were not using your phone to react to brake lights or lane changes.
Fine for using mobile while driving
Using mobile phones while driving is a punishable offence. According to Motor Vehicles Act, if someone is caught while speaking on the phone while driving, then the penalty for the same is Rs 5000. This was
Rs 1000 earlier, it was increased by five times in the year 2020. These rules were implemented as a part of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act. This was done primarily with the aim to discourage drivers from using mobile phones while driving.
According to the road transport and highways ministry, mobile phones can be used while driving solely for route navigation and nothing else. This too without disturbing the ‘concentration of the driver while driving.’
In 2021, India witnessed a tragic loss of 18 lives every hour due to road accidents, according to the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari. The data received from police departments of all States and Union Territories indicated a total of 153,972 road accident fatalities in 2021, averaging 18 deaths per hour. While this figure is not the highest globally, it is still not the lowest.
The Minister attributed road accidents to various causes, including speeding, use of mobile phones while driving, drunk driving, driving on the wrong side or lane indiscipline, jumping red lights, failure to use safety devices like helmets and seat belts, vehicle condition, weather and road conditions, and human errors by drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. The Ministry also informed the House that to address the issue of road safety, it has formulated a multi-pronged strategy based on education and engineering — both of roads and vehicles, enforcement and emergency care.
It also said at least 130 stretches of national highways (NH) have been identified for development as Model Safe Roads under the ministry and 85 project stretches of NH have been identified for development as Model Safe Construction Zone. A road safety audit of all highways is now compulsory at all stages, including design, construction, operation, and maintenance, conducted by third-party auditors or experts.
Additionally, vehicles are now required to have airbags in the front seats and seat belt reminders for the driver and co-driver. Further, it specifies the use of a safety harness, and crash helmet, and restricts speed to 40 kilometres per hour.
Speeding warnings are also mandatory in some vehicles. The vehicle scrappage policy has been introduced as part of the efforts to reduce fatalities.
A total of 1,997 road accidents occurred in 2021 due to the use of mobile phone by drivers while driving, which claimed 1,040 lives, according to a Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) report. The report titled ‘Road Accidents in India — 2021’, further said 555 road accidents took place due to jumping of red light which claimed 222 lives in 2021.
According to the report, tthe total number of accidents and deaths due to potholes in 2021 respectively stood at 3,625 and 1,481. The report noted that road accidents are multi-causal which requires multi-pronged measures to mitigate the problems through concerted efforts of all agencies of both central government and state governments. It said the road ministry has formulated a multi pronged strategy to address the issue of road safety based on education, engineering (both of roads and vehicles), enforcement and emergency care. A total of 4,12,432 road accidents occurred in 2021, which claimed 1,53,972 lives while 3,84,448 people were injured.
