You should consider yourself lucky that you haven't walked into something or done something embarrassing while you were busy looking at your phone. No one blames you, whether you're on the prowl on dating apps, in the middle of a lit Facebook Live, or just texting a mate, these devices can be distracting tools.
But they can be even more dangerous when you're behind the wheel.
The Western Cape Government, in South Africa, has released a new advert through its YouTube channel Safely Home.
Have a look and see why it's been viewed tens of thousands of times...
Credit: YouTube/Safely Home
The video shows a comical compilation of people falling over or running into things because they're distracted by their phones. But it then looks at that scenario when a person texts and drives, with a horrific ending.
It's being shared across social media networks, with many people surprised at the twist ending.
It's also been shared by several UK police officers, who are trying to spread the message to drivers across Great Britain.
But if you're an Apple customer, an upcoming update might make you a lot safer on the road.
Advert
The iOS11 software will include a feature which turns your phone into Do Not Disturb mode when it senses that you're travelling in a vehicle. That will turn off all notifications from apps such as iMessage, Emails and social media networks.
But if you're a passenger and wanting those sweet, sweet notifications, fear not, the feature will only kick into gear if you have your device plugged into the car via Bluetooth or USB.
Credit: Apple
Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi said when unveiling the feature: "It's all about keeping your eyes on the road. When you're driving, you don't need to respond to these kind of messages. In fact, you don't need to see them."
The update will also tell anyone who texts you that you're currently behind the wheel by sending an automated reply saying: "I'm driving with Do Not Disturb turned on. I'll see your message when I get where I'm going."
Apple has thought of everything, because if the matter is urgent then you'll get a follow-up text saying: "If this is urgent, reply 'urgent' to send a notification through with your original message."
Let's just hope your mates don't just reply with 'urgent' every single time they can't get a hold of your while driving.
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Safely Home
