Using your phone while driving slows down your reactions. This simulator proves this

Driving and using your cell phone at the same time is a common practice and, unfortunately, extremely dangerous. The company Quanata created a simulator to show how using a phone while driving affects our reactions and exposes us to serious risks. The simulator, called “Distracted Driving Simulator“, aims to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, presenting impressive data.

As soon as we access the simulator, we are impacted by a clear message: “Did you know that on average, 10 Americans die every day as a result of distracted driving? That represents 300 people per month!“. The company’s intention is for the participant to experience in practice the risks that this distraction can represent, in an interactive and very direct way.

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How does the simulator work?

The simulator has different tests. In the first test, the participant is invited to create a text response on their cell phone, dragging and dropping words to form a sentence.

While performing this task, he is informed about how long he spent looking at his cell phone and how much this would equate to in terms of distracted driving. In my test, I took 21.25 seconds to send the text. If I had been driving at 70 mph (equivalent to 112 km/h), I would have traveled 667,12 metros distracted. This is equivalent to 16.6% of the length of Central Park, 13.1 times the height of Niagara Falls or 6.1 football fields.

The idea is to clearly illustrate how much control we lose when diverting our attention to our cell phones for a few seconds. It’s obvious that in the city we don’t drive at that speed, but on the road, like highways or BRs, those seconds can easily mean the difference between an accident and safe driving.

Delay in reaction and the risks involved

In the second simulator test, I needed to drag items in a fast food app and, at the same time, press the brake when a brake light came on.

During this simulation, my reaction was 0.07 seconds slower due to cell phone use. It may seem like a small delay, but at a speed of 112 km/h, it would mean 2,29 metros traveled in a distracted manner. This is equivalent to the length of 0.2 school bus or to height of 1.1 NBA player.

These examples show the direct impact that using a phone while driving has on our reflexes and how any second of distraction can be fatal.

Awareness and responsibility in traffic

The Quanata simulator leaves an important message: any activity that takes our attention away from driving can have serious consequences. Whether sending a message or browsing a food app, every second we’re not looking at the road represents a risk — not only for the driver, but also for everyone around.

Distracted driving is not trivial. The numbers are clear: thousands of people lose their lives every year due to accidents involving distracted drivers. So the message is clear: when driving, put your cell phone aside and focus on what’s most important — your safety and the safety of others.