The dangers of drink driving have been well-publicised, but what about distracted driving—which happens when you use your mobile phones while driving? Did you know that texting while driving makes a motorist 23 times more likely to crash? And talking on a mobile phone slows a young motorist’s reaction time to that of a 70-year-old? And the most shocking statistic of all: At least 23% of all car accidents a year involve mobile phone use. That’s 1.3 million crashes! Furthermore, with the popularity of mobile apps, the usage of mobile phone while driving has gone up. In response to this increase, the Road Traffic Act in Singapore was updated in August last year, making operating any function of your mobile device while driving illegal. Previously, laws only prohibited communication (i.e. making phone calls and sending text messages) while driving. Life is unpredictable enough. Let’s all do what we can to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives. As we always say, ‘The Greatest Gift is Life’.
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