Why is it that when we hear our cellphones ping that we must check the gadget immediately?
It has probably got something to do with reward conditioning or some such. The thing is, that phone beeps, and we are immediately distracted. There seems to be no choice.
That’s why, when driving with a cellphone anywhere near you, it’s important to take evasive action. It’s like having a badly behaved toddler in the car, demanding your attention with no regard for safety. Evasive action means turning the phone on silent and/or stashing it away and well out of reach.
Distracted driving has always been a lead cause of crashes, and phones put that risk on steroids what with their inescapable lure. No text is worth your life, or the lives of others. Surely it can wait, and if it can’t, well then it’s easy enough to pull over safely, come to a standstill, and attend to the urgent matter.