April is marked as a month to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, which is said to be one of the main causes of accidents on the road.
The CEO of the company that teaches driving and promotes road safety, MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, said that information from insurance companies indicates that driving while distracted increases the chances of an accident by 60%.
“According to the World Health Organisation, using a mobile phone while driving increases the chances of crashing by four times. This includes holding it by hand and using Bluetooth. In South Africa, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) always mentions driver distraction as the number one cause of death in accidents. It is difficult to get accurate information because after an accident it is not easy to say honestly that the accident was caused by a distracted driver,” said Herbert.
He said that the research of scientists says that it is difficult to pay full attention to two things at the same time. Instead, the mind keeps changing quickly and paying attention to the things you do differently.
“In those seconds, if you are not paying attention, everything can get out of hand. At a speed of 120km/h, the car travels a distance of approximately 33 meters every second. Looking at a mobile phone for four to five seconds is like walking a distance on a rugby field with the lights off,” said Herbert.
He said it’s not just mobile but here’s something else:
- Eating or drinking while driving
- Adjusting the direction, touching the radio or changing the temperature
- Chatting with people, especially children in the background
- Daydreaming or emotional disturbance
- Driving yourself
- Checking things in the car
- Driving completely without attention
- Whatever you’re doing is keeping your eyes off the road, your hands off the steering wheel or your mind off the wheel