The gory police graphic on Facebook.Texting while driving is becoming an increasing danger on Maltese roads because “everyone is doing it and at all hours”, according to a traffic expert.
The police recently uploaded a gory graphic on their Facebook page to raise awareness about the perils of texting at the wheel.
Although the police do not have any statistics on the number of accidents caused by texting, former Assistant Police Commissioner Josie Brincat, who used to be responsible for the traffic section, said he even saw a biker sending a message.
“Was the motorcycle driving on automatic? Everyone is texting and driving and there’s no age limit to it. From young people to the older generation,” Mr Brincat said.
It is taking place all day and by all ages. It seems to be on the increase
Texting, which now extends not only to mobile messaging via SMS but includes instant messaging applications like, WhatsApp, as well as social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter, is considered especially dangerous because of the eye contact and attention it demands.
Texting at the wheel could be considered more dangerous than drunk driving because it’s happening at all times.
“Drink driving happens normally in the evening or early morning but text driving is taking place all day and by all ages. It seems to be on the increase,” said Mr Brincat.
He emphasised the need to have stronger deterrents and for the law to be enforced not just by the police but also the courts.
An international study, published in the Traffic Injury Prevention journal, concluded that sending messages on a mobile phone led to risks comparable to drunk driving.
The study compared the effects of mobile phone use while driving with the effects of alcohol and found it was as dangerous as being a quarter over the legal drink-drive limit.
Kenneth Demartino, CEO of the largest warden company in Malta, Guard & Warden Services, said the issue was a priority for wardens. Nonetheless, he confirmed no specific statistics were kept for the contravention.
The problem with the fining system is that people often hide their texting from wardens or hold their devices below the window so they won’t get caught.
The dangers of the practice have been highlighted in a poignant 35-minute documentary called From One Second To The Next by film-maker Werner Herzog, which has gone viral online.
It tells the stories of four groups of people, both victims and perpetrators, whose lives were torn apart due to distracted driving accidents.
In each case, the driver in question was texting and not paying attention to the road.
Some victims lost their lives, others were injured so badly they will never regain the freedom they enjoyed before.
A 2010 study by Pew Research in the US showed that 34 per cent of teens who use their phone for texting said they did it while driving and 47 per cent of adults who texted said they had too.
According to a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Gary Small, compulsion to texting while driving comes from the dopamine circuits in our brains, which are hardwired to stay connected to others because it makes us feel good.
Dr Small, believes this battle of the brain may fix itself over time as technology makes driving easier and safer with self-driving cars and accident-avoidance technology.
“I think the way to deal with this is to come up with devices that turn off in the car,” said Dr Small.