DRIVING TIPS FROM BRISTOL ADVANCED MOTORISTS
Mobile Phones - Switch Off Before You Drive Off!
White van man is now less likely to ignore laws on handheld mobile phones than drivers of typical family saloons according to a new nationwide survey by the IAM.
IAM members across the UK took part in the survey spanning two weekends to gauge where the hand held mobile phone drivers were most often seen and in what traffic conditions.
It is already an offence to drive while using a handheld mobile phone and there are now stiffer £60 penalties and three penalty points. Since 2003 there have been more than 250,000 prosecutions.
Incidents of drivers using handheld phones were noted over a 19 day period by IAM members. The survey covered all classes of vehicle at different times of day and in different traffic conditions.
From the survey, 674 vehicles were extrapolated. From these, drivers of family cars were found most likely to offend (145 reported incidents or 21.5 per cent of the total vehicles extrapolated) followed by light commercials or vans (120 reported incidents or 17.8 per cent).
Large and executive cars came third (111 reports or 16.5 per cent), with drivers of small family cars still willing to take risks (102 reports or 15.1 per cent). In other categories were 4WDs, (85 reports or 12.6 per cent), and other commercial vehicles (69 reports or 10.2 per cent).
Drivers of sports and high performance cars were found least likely to commit the offence, with only 42 reports (6.2 per cent).
The survey also revealed that drivers are more likely to use the handheld mobile while in free flowing traffic (334 incidents) rather than those in stationary or semi-stationary traffic or in heavy congestion (78 incidents). Drivers not affected by the morning and evening rush hours were more likely to pick up the handheld phone with 220 reports compared to peak morning rush (95 reports).
"This suggests that drivers are fully aware that they are committing an offence when they use a mobile phone on the move but are less aware of the potential disaster, misguidedly believing that they are less obvious to other road users if they dial-up or pick-up on the move", said Geoff Bevan, Chief Observer with Bristol Advanced Motorists. "Advanced drivers can usually spot a driver on the mobile phone, even from behind, by the lack of attention to the most obvious hazards and their erratic driving pattern," he added.
"Drivers cannot give their full attention to the complex task of vehicle control whilst dividing concentration between anticipating what is going to happen on the road ahead, planning how to deal with it and at the same time carry out a discussion about unrelated matters on a mobile phone," he said. "It is a simply a recipe for disaster."
"The message must be 'switch off before you drive off' and that applies just as much on the school run as it does to white van man because you are at least four times more likely to crash when you are on a mobile phone than when you are fully concentrating on your driving."
"Neither are Hands Free kits a safe substitute. The IAM has for several years advised caution when using hands-free kits as an alternative because crucially, your attention is still divided. The consequences of distraction - be it a crash or a fine and penalty points - are just as devastating whether by a hands-free or hand held phone," he said.
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