In what seems like a strong message to drivers who are enslaved by their mobile devices, Volkswagen Stockholm and NordDDB, a brand management company, have collaborated to make special iPhone 8 cases from metal that was salvaged from the car wrecks of accidents caused by texting and driving.
‘Crashed Cases’ is an attempt to remind drivers about the seriousness of the issue, as it’s not only their lives that are on the line, it’s also the lives of pedestrians and other drivers.
The companies aren't looking to make anything from the sales and are giving the proceeds to charity. It’s difficult to say how many of these cases will be sold in a country as superstitious as India, but if you want to, you can buy them here.
The use of mobile phones while driving is banned and is also a punishable offence in many countries including India, but still, people blatantly ignore these rules and can be often seen talking and texting while driving.
According to a study conducted by TNS India for the SaveLIFE Foundation on distracted driving in the country, India is the primary contributor to global road crash mortality and morbidity figures.
Almost every hour, 16 lives are lost to a road accident in the country. In the last 10 years alone, India lost 1.3 million people to road crashes and another 5.3 million were disabled for life.
And, if you still think you’re a master at texting while driving, these videos might change your mind:
Texting while driving isn’t common only among car drivers, but also among two-wheeler riders, who prefer snugly placing the phone in the space between their ear and the helmet.
And, if one isn’t wearing a helmet (which is another offence), they’ll still be riding the vehicle very acrobatically, juggling the phone from one ear to the other.
The survey conducted by TNS India covered various categories of vehicle drivers in Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Jaipur, Bangalore, Mangalore, Kanpur and Mumbai. It sampled around 1,749 drivers.
Here are some interesting findings from the study:
- 47 percent of people receive calls on their mobile phone while driving
- 97 percent of people believe that use of mobile phones while driving is dangerous
- 96 percent of people feel unsafe as passengers if the driver was using a mobile phone while driving
- 41 percent of people use phones for work-related purposes while driving
- 60 percent of people do not stop at a safe location before answering calls
- 68 percent of people support the use of enforcement cameras to apprehend drivers using mobile phones while driving
- 20 percent of people have had a near-miss or a crash due to use of mobile phones while driving
- 34 percent of people tend to apply sudden brakes when talking on the phone while driving
As much as these statistics are jarring to one’s eye, there are many commuters who still violate traffic rules by using mobile phones while driving.
And, since there’s no convincing the aam bharatiya janata, the only way to ensure that this act is put to rest is to enforce heavy penalties on violators and come up with more efficient ways to monitor offenders on the roads.
If this doesn’t help curb the issue, Volkswagen and NordDDB will have an endless supply of metal from car wrecks for their iPhone 8 cases.
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