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Use of WhatsApp increases distracted driving by 27 times and the possibility of being hit by a run-over by 3 times

Use of WhatsApp increases distracted driving by 27 times and the possibility of being hit by a run-over by 3 times

Study carried out by NGO No Chat and Mutual de Seguridad determined that reading and sending messages through this or other platforms is the most risky element while driving, even surpassing answering the phone on the way.

With the arrival of “Super Monday” and the start of the work and school year in a massive way, an increase in risk conditions against road accidents is foreseeable. Although there is an effect of the pandemic that reduces mobility in public space – due to the traffic restrictions decreed by the authority in the Step by Step Plan – traffic accidents continue to affect vulnerable road users, registering in the last year an increase in accidents of cyclists (25.9%) and motorcyclists (19%).

The causes that cause these accidents are speeding and distracted driving, and this factor in turn is directly linked to the use and manipulation of the cell phone. This is evidenced by the study “Estimation of the risk of suffering a road accident caused by manipulating the cell phone”, carried out by the NGO No Chat together with Mutual de Seguridad. These are measurements developed with state-of-the-art virtual reality driving simulators, to establish which behaviors represent the most risk while driving. The measurement was carried out on 60 people, between 18 and 72 years old, men and women with a valid driver’s license.

One of the most alarming indicators in the study is related to the use of WhatsApp. The results indicate that the use of this popular messaging application through cell phones or electronic devices triples the possibility of generating a run over and increases distracted driving by 27 times, this is zigzag driving, unexpectedly slowing down, climbing to the sidewalk, detention in the middle of the road, displacement in the wrong direction, disrespect for signs and traffic lights, among others.

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