Hyderabad:Watching reels and videos while driving has become a common and dangerous habit with people. It started as a helpful tool, using mobile holders for navigation which has now turned into a serious risk.
Drivers watch their screens instead of the road, putting themselves and others in danger.
It’s not just Ola and Uber drivers doing this, regular people are just as guilty. Whether it’s at a red light or while moving through traffic, people are glued to their phones.
“I was crossing the road when a bike nearly hit me. The rider wasn’t even looking at the road, he was watching a video on his phone,” said Ameena, a homemaker.
Pavithra.K, a college student, spoke about an incident with a fellow student. “We were riding to campus and the other girl was right in front of us, she was watching a reel at a red light. When the light turned green, she didn’t notice until we honked. Similar incidents have been reported by people on X and Rreddit.
Telangana police have registered 26,521 cases of people using mobile phones while driving across the state in 2024. Traffic authorities are worried about this growing trend. “People think using a phone holder makes it safe, but watching videos while driving is just as dangerous as texting,” says Cyberabad Traffic JCP, Joel Davis. It’s time for people to put their phones down and prioritise safety for themselves and everyone else on the road, he added.
