Distraction claims are widely accepted by experts
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Claims that info-entertainment systems can prove to be dangerous distractions for drivers might be impossible to prove – but they are still widely accepted by safety organisations, says Gavin Jones, head of risk management at fleet specialist Masterlease...
Katie Armitage
“Drivers involved in accidents are hardly likely to admit that they have been paying insufficient attention to the road ahead because they were fiddling with controls for iPods, sat-navs or other info-entertainment equipment at the time but safety agencies know full well that this kind of distraction is very often the cause,” he said.
“Improved ergonomics in many of the latest-generation vehicles results in hand controls for much of this equipment being designed into steering wheels and I’d support any move to bring more controls readily to hand.
Urge
“However, I would urge drivers to set their navigation equipment prior to starting to drive and resist the temptation to alter equipment control settings while on the move.”
According to Steve Johnson, director of communications at risk management company DriveTech, validated academic research confirms that on average, people devote only 25% of their time behind the wheel to actually concentrating on driving.
“Being at the wheel of a potentially lethal weapon requires 100% concentration, particularly in high risk urban areas. Clearly, the best known distraction is the use of the hand held mobile phone – it may be outlawed, but thousands of motorists persist in endangering the lives of others in this way,” he said.
“Modern vehicles provide plenty of other potential distractions, such as sat nav and complex in-car entertainment, all of which need managing with responsibility if incidents are to be avoided.
“Generally speaking, talking to a passenger or listening to the radio is not considered as being distracting, but drivers should not be afraid to tell passengers that conversation needs to stop if road conditions demand it.
“A tip is to constantly assess the level of risk around you, with one being minimal and 10 being high. In an eight and above situation, you would need the radio off and a quiet passenger, but you could probably cope with both quite happily at a risk level of three and below.”
Operating sat nav controls has been highlighted as the biggest danger while driving in one recent survey. In-car gadgets are seen as not only confusing to use but also a major cause of distraction for drivers.
“We’re urging car manufacturers to have more consideration for safety and put a greater emphasis on helping driver concentration,” said motors.co.uk marketing manager Katie Armitage.