More than 150 people die every day in Brazil due to using cell phones while driving. Learn more about it!
Cell phone use is quite common in our daily lives, where we use the device for different activities, whether for work or just leisure. Many people are always in a rush at work, solving pending issues, making calls, sending messages, making payments, talking to customers and more. As a result, the cell phone is always in hand, at any time.
Therefore, it may seem common and completely harmless to use a cell phone while driving, if the driver is careful. However, this practice can be a deadly combination for the driver and those nearby. In Brazil, according to data from the Brazilian Association of Traffic Medicine, using a cell phone while driving is already the third biggest cause of deaths in traffic, resulting in more than 150 deaths per day, 54,000 per year in the country.
Cell phones are now considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be one of the main risk factors for road safety, surpassing issues such as drowsiness and fatigue at the wheel. Brazil currently has more than 240 million cell phones spread throughout the country and their use while driving has influenced the growing number of traffic accidents and has worried experts.
Continue reading and learn more about this subject that can put the lives of countless people at risk.
Accidents
According to data released by the Brazilian Association of Traffic Medicine, the cell phone use Driving is now the third leading cause of traffic fatalities. The number reaches 154 deaths per day, around 54,000 per year throughout Brazil. Alcohol consumption and speeding are still the main causes of fatal accidents on the roads, but the number of deaths caused by the use of cell phones has been increasing significantly over the years.
According to the association's data, send text messages while driving a vehicle at 80 km per hour, for example, is equivalent to driving blindfolded for a distance of up to 100 meters. This is a concern that has been reflected in Brazilian traffic legislation and experts indicate that precautions should be taken by both drivers and pedestrians, who can also be victims of accidents.
Another fact pointed out by Abramet is that in cases of phone calls, even after the call has ended, the brain's activity continues to be focused on this, and the risk of causing an accident remains for seconds after the call in question has ended. The use of cell phones in traffic has also been gaining new followers, such as motorcyclists, who are also starting to use their cell phones while driving.
Currently, the cell phone use Driving while distracted is more common among young people under the age of 30. Women, compared to men, are more likely to be involved in accidents while driving while distracted while using a cell phone.
Traffic violation
Even if it does not cause accidents, using a cell phone, whether talking on the phone or sending messages, while driving is considered a very serious offense, according to article 252 of the Brazilian Traffic Code. In cases like this, the driver must pay a fine of R$$293.47, in addition to having seven points added to their National Driver's License.
