Number of motorists admitting to phoning while driving soars

by Sarah Griffiths on 13 October 2010, 15:25

Tags: General Business

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The number of motorists who admit to taking calls and sending text messages while on the road has tripled in a year, rising from 8 percent to 28 percent, according to the 2010 RAC Report on Motoring.

Perhaps the most shocking finding from the report is the fact that almost half of drivers do not think taking a call or texting while driving diverts their attention from the road. Yet department of Transport figures show that 509 people were hurt in accidents caused by drivers who were distracted by their mobile in 2009 and experts believe this number could easily rise as smartphones offer even more distractions.

Almost 40 percent of drivers admitted being distracted by calls, texts and social media apps on their mobiles while they were driving.

The report also found that during an average car journey of 23 minutes, a driver's phone rings or beeps at least once, which can prove more than a little tempting, so much so that just over half of motorists said they are likely to take their eyes of the road to see who a call is from.

Another 45 percent admitted they would look to see who a text is from and surprise, surprise, young drivers between the age of 17 and 24 are the worst culprits and most likely to give in to temptation and check their phone if it beeps.

The rise in popularity of social networking and increasing uptake of smartphones has also contributed to the rise in mobile activity while driving, with one in five motorists checking a social media alert from the likes of Facebook or Twitter while driving.

Interestingly, the top 5 social media sites and apps that drivers fessed up to checking while either stationary, running their engine or driving were:

  1. Email - 11%
  2. Google Maps - 9%
  3. Music - 9%
  4. Photos - 8%
  5. Facebook - 7%

The research found that over a quarter of people said it was ok to use mobiles while a car is stationary at traffic lights, while a third said calling, texting or checking updates in a lay-by is fine and almost one in ten think messing about on a mobile when stuck in a traffic jam is no problem either.

Adrian Tink, RAC Motoring Strategist believes the fact people are admitting to using their phone for a load of social networking apps while driving is really worrying.

"Taking your eye off the road, just for a second, to read an alert or check who a call came from can have potentially fatal results. This steep rise in mobile phone usage at the wheel could potentially be set to continue as more and more people embrace smart phone technology. Many people do not realise it is an offence to use a mobile phone while a vehicle is stationary in a lay-by, traffic jam, traffic lights or at the side of the road, with the engine running," he added.

The RAC is calling for the police to better enforce laws around mobile usage in the car and the government to run more awareness campaigns about the dangers of driving and calling.



HEXUS Forums :: 18 Comments

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I'm not supprised that the number of people using their phones at the wheel is increasing as there is never anyone around to enforce it. Sadly they don't realise just how stupid it is until they nearly kill someone.
^^ as Flash says I think the problem is this is almost never enforced.

There was a reported drop after the law was changed to make it illegal, but I think that people have realised that the odds of being caught are so incredibly low that they can get away with it..so they will. They are not thinking about how stupid they are being and how they are endangering others.

This is sadly exactly the same as the other traffic safety laws - Speeding and mobile phone usage is just not properly enforced, and its been that way for so long that people don't think its actually a bad/dangerous thing and so they do it..it is so incredibly frustrating when I am driving along and I see some idiot steaming down the outside line at 90mph+ and on their mobile phone..yet I can do nothing about it.

We need much more education on the usage of mobile phones and speeding, both are incredibly dangerous things to do and yet both are on the rise :(
+1 to the above.

Sadly, most places seem to think GATSO's are a suitable replacement for traffic cops, whose numbers are constantly shrinking despite the number of cars on the road constantly rising.
Depends if you've got a coppa behind you or not as to how much you pay attention.

:)

Seriously though, google maps while parked up with the engine running is not going to cause an accident. I had a fine slapped on me for speaking to someone on my phone while at a T junction. I had had the phone on loud speaker, but picked it up because I'd had come to a stop at a set of lights I new took forever to change, and that's when the boys in blue pounced. They were tight, but seriously, that's not dangerous to ANY other road users. At worst when the lights change I'd get a beep from the guy behind, and then have to hang up on the call.

The law needs to be revised IMO. You can change a radio station, chuck in a CD, and program your GPS, but not drink a cup of tea from a travel mug or use your phone when stationary.
Sadly the only solution I see to this is Big Brother-esque.

Networks know when a call is being made or a text sent… link up info from the networks to cameras on roads which photograph your numberplate - like the C-Charge cameras in London, I'll bet they can also tell how many people there are in a car… or a roadside camera could probably see in your window and photograph you doing it…

If your registered vehicle is spotted moving, with your phone showing signs of use, and your average speed is too high for you to have moved between two cameras without stopping (or speeding) then you get a fine…

Something like that anyway! Like GATSO+++