Are Phone Mounts Dangerous?

As cellphones become a larger part of our everyday lives, more and more drivers find themselves struggling to stay focused at the wheel. Enter phone mounts, a simple product that clips to your air vent or dashboard to make for easier (and allegedly safer) hands-free phone use while driving.

But is it possible that despite the safety claims, phone mounts are actually more dangerous than the alternative?

The Danger of Phone Mounts

Phone mounts are inherently more distracting than having your phone in your pocket or even the cupholder. When your phone is out of sight, you’re less likely to check on it. You may still experience the cognitive distraction of wondering what the notification was about, but the distraction quickly fades as you regain focus on driving.

When you have a phone mount, the notification appears at eye level. Even disciplined drivers can struggle to keep their eyes on the road when a bright flashing screen appears directly in front of their eyes. Already, this makes phone mounts both a visual distraction and a cognitive distraction, but that’s not the end of it.

Drivers are more likely to use an accessible phone, which is why phone mounts exponentially increase the risk of cognitive distractions. Even if you are completely hands-free and have your phone assistant read texts, pick music, and respond by voice dictation, you are still being distracted. In fact, there is a large amount of evidence to suggest that voice dictation texting, and talking on the phone are just as dangerous as manually texting with your hands.

Using Phone Mount Responsibly

Phone mounts are potentially dangerous, but some drivers feel the need to use them for navigation. If you are using your phone for GPS, you can take steps to use the phone mount responsibly by putting your phone on “do not disturb.”

While the temptation to manually pick music or check your social media is still there, “do not disturb” can prevent you from becoming distracted by incoming messages and potentially causing a serious wreck.

If you were injured by a distracted driver, let us fight for you. If you’d like to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Bryan car accident lawyer from The Payne Law Group, don’t hesitate to contact our firm at (979) 300-7406 or send us an email.