From the buzzing sound of an incoming text message to social media notifications, 26% of drivers are guilty of checking their phones behind the wheel.
To highlight how serious distracted driving is, black box car insurer ingenie has created an interactive digital experience titled One-Four-Nine.
It is named after the rule within the Highway Code that outlines the law on using a mobile while driving: “You must exercise proper control of your vehicle at all times. You must not use a hand-held mobile phone, or similar device, when driving or when supervising a learner driver.”
During the interactive experience, users will act as a detective attempting to find the cause of a dangerous road traffic incident, following the story step by step as the mystery unfolds.
Before developing the video, ingenie polled drivers across the UK to find out exactly how phones are distracting drivers on the road. The research highlighted that over half (59%) of Brits find their mobile phone distracting when driving, and over a quarter (29%) confessed that they switch their attention from the road to their handset at least once every single journey.
Although it’s been illegal to use a phone at the wheel for years, a change in the law from 1 March 2017 means the punishment is now six points on your licence and a £200 fine – double the previous penalty.
However, this doesn’t seem to be deterring drivers; 10% of those surveyed have nearly crashed because they were using their phone, and 47% admitted that they use their device for one reason or another while driving. But what exactly are drivers using their phones for when they are behind the wheel? Sixteen percent admitted to using their handset to make calls while driving and nearly a fifth (18%) use their phone to control the music – a perceived grey area that will still guarantee you a penalty if you’re caught. |
Delving deeper into what activities Brits are getting up to on their phones while driving, ingenie can reveal the top five dangerous activities motorists admitted to:
Alongside these top activities, 10% of 18 to 24 year olds said they have sent a Snapchat while driving and 13% of 25 to 34 year olds have taken a selfie when behind the wheel. |
Even without picking up your phone to use it, the stream of notifications and alerts can be a risk to drivers, as 19% of UK drivers admitted they find social media apps to be the most distracting while driving.
Looking specifically into the apps that motorists are using on the road, over a fifth (21%) stated the app they use the most when driving is Maps, closely followed by music apps (7%), Facebook (7%) and Snapchat (3%).
Mike Ketteringham, CEO at ingenie, said, “Distracted driving isn’t just a young driver problem – it’s an everyone problem. With the recent change in the law, it’s more important than ever to discuss how distracting mobile phones can be in the car, even when drivers aren’t actually using them. “