Survey: 65 percent use smartphones while driving despite knowing risks
Despite being aware of the risks, nearly one in five drivers in Estonia have found themselves in a dangerous situation due to being distracted by a smartphone or navigation device, Delfi reported.
While most indications suggest the ban on using a phone while driving, due to it being dangerous, is common knowledge, people's actions often show the opposite. A 2025 study conducted by Kantar Emor found up to 65 percent of drivers use their phones while driving at least "sometimes," with 14 percent doing so "frequently," even as 98 percent of respondents consider texting behind the wheel to be a dangerous activity.
Several fatalities in recent years which Delfi cited show the safety claims are not just abstract – in one case, a driver failed to yield to another vehicle at an intersection, as they were diverted by using a navigation device; two people died in the resulting collision. In another case, a car drifted into the oncoming lane because the driver's attention had been distracted by "multiple factors," resulting in a crash which killed one, while a pedestrian crossing tram tracks was killed when hit by the tram, whose driver had been watching videos on their phone. In yet another case, a driver was typing in an address into their phone while driving and collided at an intersection with an e-scooter rider, who was killed.
It is not just drivers who are getting distracted by smartphones and other devices, sometimes with tragic results: in one case, a pedestrian was killed after being hit by a city bus turning left. In this case, the pedestrian had a phone in hand and headphones on.
Research suggests men use their phones behind the wheel more frequently than women, perhaps overestimating their abilities and thinking "just a quick glance" at the phone will not have consequences.
However, the consequences are measurable: for every five seconds' screen time, a vehicle traveling at 40 km/h will have covered 55 meters, while one traveling at 55 km/h will travel 70 meters; at 90 km/h the distance rises to 125 meters. This is during which the driver may fail to notice other road users or changes in traffic conditions.
These are all legal speed limits on various categories of road, yet those using their phones will essentially be driving blind.
Delfi recommends people stow away their phones and devices ahead of driving, setting them to "do not disturb" mode for the duration of the trip; when needing to make or respond to a call or message, you should pull over safely to do so.
"Hands-free" tech for phone use predates the smartphone era and was already available decades ago.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
Source: Delfi
