South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership
News
09 Jun 2022
BLOG: DRIVER DISTRACTION
As I sat down to write this blog my phone rang and I spent ten minutes sorting out a problem, then someone at the desk behind me shouts up and several of us spend a few minutes debating the use of ‘effect’ and ‘affect’ in a sentence. As I turn back to my screen, I realise the person who promised to ring me half an hour ago hasn’t, so that makes me annoyed. I return to my keyboard and a blank screen 20 minutes later.
Twenty minutes is how long it takes me to drive 8 miles into town. So imagine if all those distractions had happened when I had been behind the wheel, driving through traffic lights, past shops and schools busy with pedestrians or along narrow country lanes where a tractor or a cyclists could be around the next bend.
A driver can become distracted when they pay attention to a second activity while driving. The second activity puts extra demands on the driver, which may reduce his or her driving standard, meaning they could become less observant or make poor decisions. Under these circumstances the driver is more likely to fail to anticipate hazards, so increasing the likelihood of a collision.
Research has shown that drivers who are distracted also have difficulty controlling their speed and their distance from the vehicle in front, and their lane position can vary drastically. The more involved a driver becomes with a distraction, the more harmful this is on their ability to make observations and control the vehicle safely.
Our young driver classroom session – Drive Start – aims to show learner drivers how complex the driving task really is and that the driver needs their full attention for that one task. The sessions challenge young people to complete an activity whilst counting backwards from 100. Whilst trying to do two things at once they often make mistakes in the counting and complete the other activity much slower than they would have otherwise. This makes the point that it can be difficult to multi-task. Driving isn’t easy, especially for novice drivers. Drivers need to focus on the task of driving.
So what might distract us when we are behind the wheel? Everything from in-vehicle technology, to your phone, your passengers and your thoughts!
Most people are aware of the laws surrounding the use of hand held mobile phones while driving, and that they have recently been tightened (see the article on our website here.) By using a hand held phone you are taking your eyes off the road and your hand off the wheel, which could have lethal consequences. What’s more, your attention is diverted away from the road towards whatever you are looking at on your phone.
But even those drivers who are talking on the phone, using legal hands-free technology, are still four times more likely to be in a crash resulting in injuries. This is because of the mental distraction from the driving task as we visualise what is being discussed. And the person on the other end of the phone line can’t see what is happening on the road around the driver, so can’t regulate their conversation to give the driver time to concentrate on a busy junction or a complex situation up ahead.
Passengers can be a big distraction in the car; from a crying baby, to a fractious toddler and bickering children. Maybe there have been cross words with a passenger about a wrong turn which has sent you on a 20 mile detour, making you late. Young drivers might be pressured into risky driving by friends in the car or be distracted by their actions or conversations.
Anger can be very quick, powerful and reactive. It can make us do things we typically wouldn’t do. Stressed or angry drivers suffer a form of cognitive distraction that may affect their judgment and reaction times and increase their crash risk. For these reasons, the Safer Roads Partnership offers some useful tips on mindfulness to help drivers to learn how they can have a calmer and safer journey.
Distractions can be difficult to manage. But there are ways that drivers can deal with various distractions they may be subject to:
The majority of distractions are avoidable, so don’t succumb to the diversion. Keep your focus on the driving task and stay alert for what is happening on the road, for the sake of your safety and that of all other road users.
Until next time, stay safe.
Joanne
Twenty minutes is how long it takes me to drive 8 miles into town. So imagine if all those distractions had happened when I had been behind the wheel, driving through traffic lights, past shops and schools busy with pedestrians or along narrow country lanes where a tractor or a cyclists could be around the next bend.
A driver can become distracted when they pay attention to a second activity while driving. The second activity puts extra demands on the driver, which may reduce his or her driving standard, meaning they could become less observant or make poor decisions. Under these circumstances the driver is more likely to fail to anticipate hazards, so increasing the likelihood of a collision.
Research has shown that drivers who are distracted also have difficulty controlling their speed and their distance from the vehicle in front, and their lane position can vary drastically. The more involved a driver becomes with a distraction, the more harmful this is on their ability to make observations and control the vehicle safely.
Our young driver classroom session – Drive Start – aims to show learner drivers how complex the driving task really is and that the driver needs their full attention for that one task. The sessions challenge young people to complete an activity whilst counting backwards from 100. Whilst trying to do two things at once they often make mistakes in the counting and complete the other activity much slower than they would have otherwise. This makes the point that it can be difficult to multi-task. Driving isn’t easy, especially for novice drivers. Drivers need to focus on the task of driving.
So what might distract us when we are behind the wheel? Everything from in-vehicle technology, to your phone, your passengers and your thoughts!
Most people are aware of the laws surrounding the use of hand held mobile phones while driving, and that they have recently been tightened (see the article on our website here.) By using a hand held phone you are taking your eyes off the road and your hand off the wheel, which could have lethal consequences. What’s more, your attention is diverted away from the road towards whatever you are looking at on your phone.
But even those drivers who are talking on the phone, using legal hands-free technology, are still four times more likely to be in a crash resulting in injuries. This is because of the mental distraction from the driving task as we visualise what is being discussed. And the person on the other end of the phone line can’t see what is happening on the road around the driver, so can’t regulate their conversation to give the driver time to concentrate on a busy junction or a complex situation up ahead.
Passengers can be a big distraction in the car; from a crying baby, to a fractious toddler and bickering children. Maybe there have been cross words with a passenger about a wrong turn which has sent you on a 20 mile detour, making you late. Young drivers might be pressured into risky driving by friends in the car or be distracted by their actions or conversations.
Anger can be very quick, powerful and reactive. It can make us do things we typically wouldn’t do. Stressed or angry drivers suffer a form of cognitive distraction that may affect their judgment and reaction times and increase their crash risk. For these reasons, the Safer Roads Partnership offers some useful tips on mindfulness to help drivers to learn how they can have a calmer and safer journey.
Distractions can be difficult to manage. But there are ways that drivers can deal with various distractions they may be subject to:
- Before engaging in an activity, ask yourself “will this be distracting?”. If so, find a safe place to stop and pull over before completing that action.
- Recognise what makes you distracted and try to avoid those activities.
- Make sure that you are ready to drive before setting off for a journey - if you are about to drive after an emotional event, then it is best to allow yourself time to cool down.
- Use technology sensibly – set the entertainment system and sat nav before you start your journey and turn off mobile phones or activate “do not disturb” mode.
- Set ground rules with your passengers to not distract the driver – make sure little ones are comfortable and have activities to keep them occupied, enrol the front seat passenger as co-pilot, tell friends they won’t get a lift again if they are messing about in the car.
- Build on what you have already learned or address those bad habits with further driver training. This can help drivers to build on the skills they have to prioritise events around a vehicle, predict hazards, and decide the safest course of action on the road.
The majority of distractions are avoidable, so don’t succumb to the diversion. Keep your focus on the driving task and stay alert for what is happening on the road, for the sake of your safety and that of all other road users.
Until next time, stay safe.
Joanne
