Om Tech
Constant innovations in the ICT space have solved a number of problems through the years and empowered us with affordable and easy-to-use options to communicate and work. But it has a flipside. Mobile phones, which have radically transformed our lives and without which it is hard to imagine our existence, are becoming a reason of road crashes and deaths.
Testifying this is a latest study by Vodafone India and SaveLIFE Foundation - “Distracted Driving Report: A study on Mobile Phone Usage, Pattern and Behavior” which reveals 94% of people acknowledge using mobile phones during driving as being dangerous but 47% of them admit to receiving calls while driving. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), road crashes kill 1.2 million people and permanently disable another 50 million every year. India is the number one contributor to global road crash mortality and morbidity figures. Every hour, 16 lives are lost to road crashes in India. The WHO blames driver distraction as an important risk factor for road crash injuries. The United States Department of Transportation also terms distracted driving as one of the most dangerous behaviours and an epidemic which has increased with the proliferation of mobile phones.
Mobile usage while driving is becoming an epidemic and needs immediate solution. Strict law has not come to the rescue in the past few years. With law enforcement, mobile companies and automobile companies need to focus on solving these core issues and contribute towards saving lives. Virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence are key technologies in addressing these problems. Connected cars can solve the puzzle to an extent. However, the technology has not reached a stage where it could make driving a seamless experience. In India, only Mahindra & Mahindra is working on autonomous cars under its project Rise. It needs an ecosystem. Government can step forward to address the issue in association with tech and automobile companies.
Till then it is better to stay away from mobile phones and calls while driving.