Texting while driving is 6 times more dangerous than drinking alcohol

Many studies show that texting while driving is more dangerous than drinking and driving.

Evaluating the behavior of using phones such as texting, calling... while driving a vehicle as potentially posing many risks of causing serious traffic accidents, many countries in the world have tightened management and increased penalties for this behavior.

The risk of traffic accidents is 6 times higher for people who drink and drive.

The reason why using a phone, especially texting, commenting and surfing social networks while driving is extremely dangerous is because sending/reading messages causes the driver to take their eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds. Although this number is not much, it is enough for a driver driving at a speed of more than 80km/h to go as far as the length of a football field.

A report recently released by the US National Safety Council shows that cell phone use leads to 1.6 million accidents per year. Texting and driving is 6 times more likely to cause an accident than drunk driving.

One in four traffic accidents in the U.S. involves cell phone use. Furthermore, 11 teens die every day in traffic accidents caused by texting and driving. More than 3,000 teen and young adult drivers die each year from texting while driving.

In fact, there have been many tragic accidents that could have been avoided just because the driver looked at his phone for a few seconds. For example, a minor in Massachusetts was recently charged with manslaughter at the age of 18 after texting while driving, causing him to lose control and hit and kill a 55-year-old man.

Many countries tighten sanctions

Because of this seriousness, many countries around the world not only consider texting while driving a violation of traffic laws but also increasingly increase penalties.

For example, in France, the French Supreme Court tightened the regulations and penalties to the level: Drivers are not allowed to use their phones even when they have stopped their car or pulled over, except in emergency cases. To use their phones, they are forced to park their car in a designated parking spot and turn off the engine. The fine for this violation is 166 USD (nearly 4 million VND).

In the UK, under a new law that came into effect in March 2017, anyone caught using a handheld device while driving for anything from making a phone call, texting, or live-streaming a video will face a hefty fine. First-time offenders will be fined $244 and have their license deducted six points, double the penalty for similar behavior that was imposed in 2007. For those who have been driving for less than two years, the six points on their license automatically mean their license will be revoked.

According to statistics from the US Department of Transportation, as of 2017, more than 30 countries around the world consider the use of handheld devices while driving illegal. In Oman, violators can be punished with up to 10 days in prison and a maximum administrative fine of $780.

Other countries with similarly high fines for first-time offenders include Bermuda ($500), Qatar ($137), and the Philippines ($100). In the Philippines, those who violate the above regulations four times can be fined up to $400 and have their driver's license revoked. Other countries, such as Portugal and many states in the US, have expanded their ban on using mobile phones while driving, including using Bluetooth devices...