We all know that it is not allowed, but many cannot resist sending a text message every now and then while driving. If things go wrong and you cause an accident, it could cost you a lot of money from now on. Since this week, most insurers have made you pay for the damage yourself if an accident occurs, and the damage can run into millions. Will this risk finally wake us up?
The fines for telephone use in traffic are increasing. If you make a mistake, you will pay 420 euros. But we all don’t seem to care about that, because in the meantime the use of mobile phones behind the wheel is only increasing. Last spring, for example, it was announced that three-quarters of motorists sometimes text while behind the wheel.
Higher fines therefore do not help and that is why insurers are now taking rigorous measures. At Interpolis, Inshared, Centraal Beheer and FBTO, non-hands-free As of this week, texting or calling is tantamount to driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. This means that in the event of an accident you have to pay for the damage yourself.
And that can add up considerably, explains a spokesperson for Tilburg’s Interpolis. “Driving into a post at twenty kilometers per hour is different from crashing into an oncoming car at one hundred kilometers per hour. But in the event of a serious accident, it can cost a lot of money,” says Serge Mouthaan. “Someone who can no longer perform their work due to an injury, misses out on a huge amount of income. And the perpetrator will now have to pay for that.”[enletselzijnwerknietmeerkanuitvoerenmistenormveelinkomstenEndaargaatdeveroorzakernuvooropdraaien”
“Justified measure, but the temptation remains great.”
A justified measure, according to traffic psychologist Gerard Tertoolen. But again not a step that will change our behavior, he fears. “People can’t be convinced how dangerous it is,” he says. “We have a huge overconfidence and no one expects to have an accident. The chance of enormous misery with tens of thousands of euros in damage is minimal. And so the temptation remains great.”
According to Tertoolen, the only thing that helps to get the mobile phone out from behind the wheel is a very good chance of being caught. “A lot of checks, so that people no longer dare to do it. And technology that makes it impossible to text while driving.” What can also work is taking away your driver’s license, as happens in Belgium. “But only if the chance of being caught is high,” says the traffic psychologist.
“You can test for alcohol and drugs. This is more difficult when using a mobile phone.”
And that chance of being caught will remain a problem for the time being. Because finding out whether someone was texting just before an accident is a challenge, Mouthaan explains: “You can test for alcohol and drugs. This is more difficult when using a mobile phone, but in serious cases phones can be read by the police.” If there is enough evidence that you held your phone while driving, the insurer can now reclaim the costs.
The chance of that happening is small, but if it does happen it could have major consequences for you. That will probably make some people think, Tertoolen expects. “There is a group that texts while driving, but is actually ashamed of it. These people may be motivated to send that app elsewhere from now on. Maybe not a large-scale change, but every little bit helps.”
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