IAM RoadSmart has called for businesses to urgently tackle the issue of distracted drivers at the wheel and overhaul their safety at work policies – to help stem the tide of avoidable crashes on our roads.
The UK’s biggest independent road safety charity has just published a white paper called Driving While Distracted: Challenges and Solutions, which examines the reasons why so many motorists’ minds wander while driving, and what can be done to reverse the shocking trend.
Fleet operators are facing higher costs for fines, damages and charges; while at the same time manufacturers, in an attempt to gain competitive advantage, are intent on fitting vehicles with more sophisticated technology seemingly by the day, the white paper reports.
IAM RoadSmart highlights Department for Transport figures which show that in 2017 there were 4,639 casualties caused by in-vehicle distractions.
Driver distraction can take four forms, the report says: mental, visual, manual and through sound – and in today’s world, some of these factors can combine to make the problem significantly worse. These were also highlighted in IAM RoadSmart’s 2017 report The Battle for Attention.