As inadvisable car accessories go, steering wheel phone mounts are quite high on the list.
Take a good look at that steering wheel phone mount.
As inadvisable car accessories go, this probably ranks quite highly on the list.
Not only does it put added weight on the steering wheel, that cable could wrap itself around your wheel and hinder your movements in a situation which calls for quick reflexes.
It also means you can’t drive with two hands on the wheel, unless you intend to forever adopt the 12-and-3 o’clock driving position. Pretty nasty for ergonomics, if you ask us.
However, the driver above appeared to be unperturbed by the tumour on his wheel.
Which raises the question: should you drive with a steering wheel phone mount?
Yes, you should drive with a steering wheel phone mount
In the interests of objectivity, let’s look at why you should (ever) do this.
To put this argument into context, there’s something to be said about private-hire drivers constantly tapping away at their screens.
True, it’s to pick up bookings, but it also distracts them from what’s ahead.
Try it for yourself the next time you’re in a car.
Your eyes constantly need to refocus from the road to your phone’s tiny screen, and back again.
The phone itself, mounted on a car holder, would be miles from your fingers, meaning you have to do the eyes-on-road-fingers-on-phone dance.
That’s pretty dangerous, which isn’t to say mounting your phone to your wheel is any better.
To be fair, that means your fingers are very near your phone, equating to fewer digital gymnastics.
No, you really, really shouldn’t
This is really the only advice you should follow.
Wheel phone mounts do exist, if you weren’t certain about that yet.
But like poking a sleeping tiger, that doesn’t mean you should do it, or buy it in this case.
As mentioned earlier, mounting a phone to your steering wheel affects the wheel’s weight balance.
Not only that, you’re going to have to explain how your phone embedded itself in your face in the accident report.
In short: get yourself a proper phone holder if you need one, and only use your phone (in the holder!) at red lights.
