Too hot to handle! mobile phones and driving
Recent research carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has established that the driving is impaired more by using a mobile phone than by being over the legal alcohol limit.
The research carried out on behalf of the Direct Line Insurance group has surprised even road safety professionals.
Although it was known that using a mobile phone whilst driving is a big distraction, the extent to which this did affect a person's ability to react to danger was not fully realised. Even a hands free phone had a marked effect on driving.
In the tests, driver reaction times were, on average, 30 per cent slower when using a hand held mobile phone compared to being drunk and nearly 50 per cent slower than under normal driving conditions. Drivers were less able to maintain a constant speed and found it more difficult to keep a safe distance from the car in front.
Using a hand held mobile phone had the greatest impact on driving performance. On average it took hand held mobile hone users half a second longer to react than normal and a third of a second longer that when they were drunk. At 70 miles per hour (mph) that's an additional 14m or 46 feet before reacting to a hazard on the road. Drivers also significantly missed more road warning signs when using either a hand held or hands free mobile.
Using a hands free mobile phone also proved to be a considerable distraction for drivers. In fact those that took part in the research, carried out on sophisticated driving simulators, found it easier to drive when drunk than when using either a hand held or hands free mobile phone.
In effect it is more dangerous to drive when using a mobile phone than when drunk.
Advice
The law says you must have proper control of your vehicle at all times.
- It is unsafe to use a mobile phone, hand held or hands free, whilst driving. When you get in your car make sure you switch your phone off and put the message answer service on. If you are expecting a call or need to be contacted for work make regular stops (in a safe place) to take messages and make any calls
- If you are an employer don't ask your staff to carry out two demanding tasks at the same time - your employees should not be expected to use a mobile phone (hand held or hands free) while driving. You should ask them to make regular stops to take messages from the answer service and make any calls
- The risk of being involved in a crash are greatly increased when reaction times are slowed. Road crashes not only injure and kill many people each year but the cost of damage to vehicles and property, time off sick through employees injuries lose business a significant amount of money.
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