Why really not talk on the phone behind the wheel?

Driving a car with a phone in your hand as well is asking for accidents. You risk a fine, but road safety is the main issue.

The number of accidents increased 8 percent in 2015. This was a strange turn of events, because until 2015 the number of traffic accidents actually decreased. According to the Insurers' Association, this is largely due to the combination of traffic and smartphone use. This is not just about motorists talking on the phone behind the wheel. Cyclists, scooter drivers and pedestrians with cell phones are also doing traffic safety no favors. It's not just about calling, but certainly about sending messages and participating in social media in traffic.

Traffic fatalities also increased

In 2014, there were 570 traffic deaths. In 2015, there were 621 traffic deaths. A worrying increase. For cyclists and pedestrians, phone use in traffic is not punishable, but for motor vehicle drivers it is. Because of this partial ban, it is not only the problem of motor vehicle drivers, but they pose the greatest danger. A steering error by a cyclist has lesser consequences, on average, than a steering error by a motorist.

Four times greater chance of accident due to hands-free calling

We don't have to defend an increasing chance of an accident caused by having a phone in one hand and the steering wheel in the other. According to the Belgian Institute for Traffic Safety (BIVV), hands-free calling also makes you four times more likely to have an accident. Your mind is somewhere else and you miss traffic signs because of this. You also see just a little later that your predecessor is braking. When changing lanes, a caller looks less long in the left side mirror. This can be just the difference between an accident and a safe maneuver to the left. British researchers even conclude that calling hands-free is as dangerous as driving with a phone to the ear. Not using a smartphone in the car at all is the best solution.

What is the fine for talking on the phone behind the wheel?

The fine for calling (not hands-free) is €230 (2017). Yet this cost is not the main reason for not holding the phone in the car. Sending another quick app can cause a fatal accident. So just don't do it, but first park your car in a safe place and only then grab the cell phone.

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