Using a mobile phone while driving
Using a mobile phone, whether hand-held or hands-free, is distracting and dangerous to any driver. Keep your focus on the road - turn your mobile phone off.
Although using a hand-held mobile phone is now generally illegal in many developed countries, hands-free use is not. This creates the perception that hands-free is safer and less distracting than hand-held use. However research shows that it is the call itself that is distracting, meaning that having a phone conversation while driving, whether hands-free or not, is dangerous.1
Despite the fact that the risks around using a mobile phone while driving have been heavily featured in the media for those countries that banned hand-held use, it appears that many have not been discouraged from using their handset at the wheel. The road safety charity, Brake, and Direct Line insurance carried out a joint survey in 2019 in which more than half of survey respondents (53%) reported seeing an increase in drivers using mobile phones in the last five years.2
It is clear that using a hand-held device to text or call involves a physical distraction such as removing a hand from the wheel; however, the cognitive distraction of being on a hands-free call still is often overlooked by many. Multi-tasking is mentally demanding; it is proven to reduce levels of concentration and impair the ability to make decisions effectively. Studies show that drivers using a mobile phone are slower at recognising and reacting to hazards, with a 37% reduction in spatial processing in the part of the brain used for driving.3
The temptation to use a mobile phone is arguably higher than ever, considering the wide range of applications that are now easily available on your mobile device, and the resultant rise in notifications that pop up on your screen. Even the most cautious drivers can be distracted by a call or text. That split-second lapse in concentration while you check the notification could easily result in an accident.
In fact, a study carried out by Monash University in Malaysia demonstrated that the time young drivers spent with their eyes off the road increased by a staggering 400% when sending and receiving text messages.4
Driving while distracted can result in a wide range of errors, some of which may be fatal. These can include:
- A lack of awareness of surrounding road users and potential hazards
- Failing to see road signs and warnings
- Struggling to maintain the recommended safe speed
- Failing to keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front
- Poor lane discipline and switching lanes without indicating
Considering all of these, it should perhaps come as no surprise that research indicates that using a phone whilst driving can make drivers four times more likely to crash.5
Safe driving tips
- Turn off your phone before starting your journey
- Take regular breaks and use the time to check messages or make calls
- Avoid using your mobile phone even with hands-free technology
- If you need to urgently make a call, find a safe place to park first
- Don’t call or text someone you know is driving
- If you call someone and they are driving, ask them to call back after their journey, when the car is parked in a safe place
- Remember the only appropriate time to use a mobile phone is in an emergency, to dial the emergency services
1 National Safety Council, “Understanding the Distracted Brain: Why Driving While Using Hands-Free Cell Phones in Risky Behaviour” (2012) Appendix A, Studies Comparing Hands-Free and Handheld Cell Phones.
2 Direct Line & Brake Reports on Safe Driving, “Roads Policing and Criminal Justice Report (PDF)” (2019)
3 Just, M. A., Keller, T. A., & Cynkar, J. A. “A decrease in brain activation associated with driving when listening to someone speak.” (2008) Brain Research, 1205, 70-80.
4 Gauld, C. S., Lewis, I., & White, K. M. “Concealed texting while driving: What are young people’s beliefs about this risky behaviour?” (2014) Safety Science, 65, 63-69.
5 USDOT, NHTSA, “National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey: Report to Congress.” (2008) pp.24-26.
