I've been trying to wrap my mind around the logic of this law and this was one of the things I considered they must be worried about. It's not so much people using them, it's just they don't want them in the lap. Because Uber and Lyft drivers have to use them for work in the US. Here they have they often have a mount on the dash board to hold their phone and they're constantly taking calls and checking maps.

As you say though it's like a one in a million event freak accident if it flies off the lap and gets stuck under the pedal. It would be weird to pass a law for some off the wall scenario like that.