Is distracted driving mortal sin?

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I saw somewhere on an examination of conscience that dangerous/reckless driving was a mortal sin. Would this include any distracted driving? Even if it was only a quick glance or two at the phone to get directions or music, or to make a call? Or is this more like people just driving like maniacs and putting others on the road in serious danger?
 
A quick glance at a phone may get someone killed. It may or may not qualify as a mortal sin, but it definitely qualifies as stupid.
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
A quick glance at a phone may get someone killed. It may or may not qualify as a mortal sin, but it definitely qualifies as stupid.
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What about a quick glance to turn on the heat or the AC? Or to turn down the radio? Or a glance at the passenger who it talking to you? Is that any different? Don’t tell me you’ve never done that.
 
So now we’re into the “everyone does it” excuse. Does that somehow make it a good idea?
 
There is a difference between glancing at a thing and changing the position of a knob or switch, and reading something. Your dashboard is designed to permit the use of peripheral vision, and your body makes adjustments without much thought. Linguistic processing uses more bandwidth and more focused eyes and attention.
 
As someone who drives for a living, I can tell you straight up that there is a world of difference between flipping the stations on your radio or fiddling with temperature settings and using your phone while driving. Which is a horrible, horrible thing to do and puts all of our lives in danger.

The more I think about it, the more it might indeed fall into the category of mortally sinful.
 
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I’m pretty sure by reckless driving they mean excessive speed, changing lanes rapidly and unnecessarily, consistently cutting people off, not obeying traffic laws, etc.

Surely looking down at your phone to change the song for a second is not a mortal sin.

Nevertheless, it’s probably venial and I tend to confess it when I go to confession.
 
Using a mobile phone while driving is a serious crime here in Australia. Fines start at $1000 and phone monitoring cameras are being erected around the country as we speak.
 
Now obviously you’d have to know that it’s a mortal sin to commit it, and I think that in certain circumstances It could very well likely be a mortal sin. Especially if its an area with more potential danger, like the road next to the park with kids, or the high school parking lot. So if Betty is driving in a location like this, gets a text, acknowledges that it’s very dangerous to be distracted, knows it’s considered a mortal sin, but decides to text Bobby anyway, then we could be looking at mortal sin territory. But I think so many people are so used to be having their phones that quickly glancing and changing the music or pulling up something to listen to or getting directions hardly crosses peoples minds. Also I do think people recognize that it would be a civil infraction. But I believe that would fall under venial sin normally, due to breaking a just law. HOWEVER! I am not advocating for texting and driving. Use voice to text!
 
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Francisco_Fernando said:
I think yes, because it goes under the Fifth Commandment and is similar to the sin of drunkenness.
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However, to rise to the level of mortal sin, the person would need to be aware that this is a mortal sin, and my argument is that most people do it just out of habit, not thinking, or not being aware of its gravity.
 
Taking your eyes off the road for any reason can be dangerous. It only takes a split second to have a fatal collision. In most states, talking or texting on a mobile phone while driving is illegal. And it should be.

Whether or not it’s a mortal sin depends on the usual criteria for determining if any action is a mortal sin:

It it grave matter?
Do you know it’s grave matter?
Do you deliberately intend to do it?
And finally, do you actually do it?

If all of these elements are present, it’s a mortal sin.
 
I’d kinda like a priest’s opinion…🤔 Father…@edward_george1 do you mind giving your thoughts on this matter? It would be greatly appreciated! 😁
 
It could be, given the three conditions. While you’re fiddling with your phone, your car travels the distance of a football field. We are talking a 3000-pound piece of machinery going 65 miles an hour. A pedestrian doesn’t stand a chance.

At one time, in our community, it seemed as though young boys had a fondness for running right out into four lanes of traffic, with oncoming cars, like they were deer or gazelles. It was so frequent, and in the same area, that I had to wonder if it was a gang initiation or something. You really had to be alert to keep from hitting them.
 
In the state of New York, texting while driving can result in the loss of your driver’s license if caught.
 
The first time I ever had a cell phone it was provided by my employer. I put it in the front seat with me while traveling on business. The first time it rang I tried to answer and nearly ran off the road. After that I turned it off and always left it off while driving from then on.
 
I do quite a bit of driving, the majority of it on an interstate. There is a marked difference between driving in town and on the highway and each has its own risks - speed and lane drifting on the highway, and oncoming traffic, stops, lights, pedestrians, sharp turns and lane drifting in the city.

A glance at the dials for the radio or the heater is generally no longer than a glance at the rear or side view mirror. A “glance”, I would submit, at the phone is going to be longer, and if there is anything there, far more likely to be a distraction that a safety “look” at the mirrors. And with the exception of a new car, most people can operate a phone or heater with only a long enough glance to get one’s hand in place.

So, yes, there is a difference; it is in the amount of distraction caused by looking at the message/note on the cell phone.
 
We had a thread about this some time ago.

If you have ADHD or any underlying medical or psychological factors keeping you distracted, that in and of itself isn’t a mortal sin.

You do need to take some serious steps to curb your phone use. Our past thread had some great ideas. For example, besides turning your phone off entirely, you could put it in the trunk and then pull it out after you’ve stopped.
 
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