Talking on a hands-free mobile phone is as equally dangerous as on a hand-held one, based on the 2013-2014 safe driving report from Direct Line and Brake.
In the United Kingdom alone, close to 10,000 drivers were caught by authorities in the first quarter of 2014 for holding a mobile device while driving, as opposed to 28,000 people seen in 2013 using their mobile phones while at the wheel. The Garda National Traffic Bureau released the figures, as its plans for a national operation that will target mobile phone use while on the road on April 24 and 25.
"We all know how distracting mobile phones can be in any situation, except in the car it can have fatal consequences," says John Twomey, traffic bureau head.
The survey [pdf] conducted by road safety advocates Direct Line and Brake shows that nearly 45 percent of the respondents confessed to taking a call on their devices while they are driving, thereby increasing significantly their chances of encountering a devastating crash. About 13 percent, or one in eight respondents, are said to be violating the law by using a hand-held phone. In 2006, 36 percent admitted to having used a hand-held phone while driving, three years after having been banned. Though a new cause for worry arises with the increased use of hands-free devices, from 22 percent in 2006 to 38 percent in early 2014. Nevertheless, the report also notes that there's a rise in drivers who don't take phone calls while at the wheel, from 46 percent in 2006 to 55 percent in early 2014.
That's not all. The research also reveals that 30 percent, or three in 10 respondents, texted or read a message on their phone devices while at the wheel in the past 12 months, of which 11 percent admitted to doing such risky behavior every month or more. For young drivers aged 18 to 24, four in 10 respondents, or about 44 percent, confessed to the dangerous behavior, with about 19 percent or one in five respondents admitted to doing such every month or more.
Using the Internet, social media and mobile phone apps were found to be road distractions as well by the report, with one in eight drivers or about 12 percent admitted to using those mentioned and half of them declaring the use on a regular basis. It says writing and reading messages and smartphone apps use were found to be more dangerous than taking a phone call while driving, because it takes off the minds, eyes and hands of the driver off the road ahead.
The research says 22 percent of crashes could be caused partly by driver distraction and that drivers performing secondary task while at the wheel have two to three times at risk for crashes based on a study of in-vehicle footage of driver behavior. Those with very complex task while driving increase even more their risk, having four times more risk to face injury-causing accidents.
"Driving requires 100% concentration - it's as simple as that," Twomey said.
Twomey said when caught with the violation of law, the driver will face either of the two penalties: a €60 fine payable within 28 days - increasing to four penalty points or a €90 fine if paid with 28-56 days.
Meanwhile in the U.S., there is an increasing rate in deaths resulting from distracted driving, pointing to their use of smart technology, the road safety report also says.
"The government needs to act now to stop this risky behaviour. We all need to take responsibility and put our phones safely out of reach and earshot while behind the wheel, and refuse to speak on the phone to others who are driving," reminds deputy chief executive Julie Townsend of Brake.
