Comedian Imran Al Aradi has staged a social experiment on patience … and is helping to stand up to smartphone addicts who text while driving.

The popular 96.5 Radio Bahrain morning show host set out on his mission to find out how long people would be willing to keep their hands off their smartphones in exchange for cash or expensive electronics.

The idea came to the 35-year-old entertainer after he regularly encountered drivers texting instead of paying attention to the road and later clashed with an impatient motorist whilst trying to park at a mall.

He said: “I was looking for a parking space and I noticed a gentleman leaving so I waited for him to reverse out. “Unfortunately the driver of the car behind me wasn’t willing to wait, even for one minute.

He lost his patience and overtook me, almost hit a pedestrian and proceeded to block the car from coming out. “It was a total disaster! All of us were stuck just because one man wasn’t willing to wait. That’s when I thought to myself, ‘I bet if I offered him money he would have waited!’

“Additionally to that, I couldn’t help noticing that so many people were texting as they drove around instead of having the patience to wait until they had arrived at their destination. That’s when it really hit me … how much does a person value his, or her, life and the lives of others while driving?”

Imran spent a day filming at Seef Mall as he put people’s patience to the test. He started by stopping random shoppers and asking them if they had any time to spare. Once the individual said yes, Imran offered them BD50 if they were willing to wait around for 15 minutes.

However, there was a catch. The participant could not look at their phone even if it rang, beeped, buzzed or vibrated. One peek and it was all over.  If they lasted a quarter of an hour, they were given the chance to wait for another 15 minutes in return for BD100.

Imran also offered some the chance of picking up a PS4 gaming console in exchange for 45 minutes of their time or one hour for an iPhone 7. Of the eight people who took up the challenge all passed … but one failed miserably after only four minutes.

Imran said: “The gentleman who broke in four minutes did so because he received an important call that he had been waiting for. Nonetheless, some waited patiently while others did look like they were about to lose it at any moment!

“It’s amazing how almost every participant didn’t hesitate to wait patiently without looking at their phones … in return for a prize. However, after the experiment was over, every single one had a moment of realisation after I explained the purpose of my trial.”

Imran posted his findings on his social media accounts Twitter and Facebook at Imran Al Aradi and @ imrancomedy on Instagram and SnapChat for his thousands of followers to heed the safety and patience message.

He added: “Nothing is worth risking your life or the lives of others while you’re driving. Whatever it is … it can wait! Everybody thinks they’re safe until something happens.” The video, which is sponsored by Bahrain National Insurance and is featured on its YouTube channel, has already received more than 46,753 views.

Imran said: “I was really happy with the response. I hope it helps make a difference and hopefully saves some from having a preventable accident.” Watch his video on YouTube by scanning the QR code below.