Many addictions are more powerful than the laws that are supposed to govern them and put a stop to them. Anyone who has been addicted to painkillers, for example, knows just how tight of a hold they can have on someone. This is also the reason for some drunk driving accidents, as those who are addicted to alcohol know that it is illegal to drive after drinking but do not believe they have any other choice.
However, one thing that sometimes surprises people is that cellphone addiction may also fall into this category. After all, texting and driving is illegal in Colorado, as it is in many states across the country. And yet you still see people using their phone in the car all of the time, and there are annual accidents caused by distracted drivers. So what is happening?
An inherent design
The problem is that cellphones are designed to be addictive on purpose. It’s simply part of how they work. Most apps are either designed to get people to make transactions or simply to spend more time using them so that ads can be sold on those platforms.
From an advertising and sales perspective, this makes sense. The more that app developers can get people to use their programs, the more money they will make, and so they have a financial incentive to make these as addictive as they can.
But from a safety perspective, it has been a disaster. If even a fraction of the drivers around you are addicted to their phone, are they going to instinctively pick it up every time it rings? Are they going to do things like trying to text at red lights, even though this has still been shown to be distracting after the light turns green? It’s not that these drivers don’t understand that their actions are unsafe, but they can’t help themselves because they’re addicted to the phone.
What are your options?
If the law can’t prevent distracted driving, it will continue causing accidents. Be sure you know what options you have if you or a family member gets injured by another driver.
