Driven to Distraction

Changing the radio station, reaching out for the sweets, having a drink of juice – we’ve all done it, but do any of us realise the effect these simple actions can have on our driving?

Driving is a serious responsibility that demands and deserves full attention but driver distractions may occur anytime, anywhere.
Objects, events and activities both inside and outside the car can cause a driver to become distracted. Looking at someone in the street, staring at a billboard, using mobile phones to make and receive calls or texts, checking hair and make up, fiddling with the sound system and chatting with passengers are all things that can be a serious distraction when driving. Interestingly, a recent Australian study revealed that drivers engage in a distracting activity once every six minutes. But taking your eyes off the road even for a few seconds can have lethal consequences.




It could happen to you...

Nicola, a 22 year old driver from Motherwell, knows how easy it is to become distracted. “I was giving three of my friends a lift into town. It was a sunny day, we had the music on quite loud and we were generally being quite lairy.
“When I was driving along, my friend who was sitting in the passenger seat screamed, and my first reaction was to turn to look at her. She had spilt some of her juice on her lap. I literally took my eyes off the road for three seconds but it was long enough for me to turn back to the road and find my car veering onto the wrong side of the road, in front of oncoming traffic. I had to swerve to get back onto my own side. My heart was racing and I started to panic. I don’t think I will ever forget what happened. To think I, or my friends, could have been seriously injured or killed because of someone screaming in the car, really scares me.”

Worryingly, statistics show that young drivers are more likely to die in a road crash when carrying passengers of their own age, with one passenger making an accident twice as likely and two or more making it five times as likely.
Destruction can be avoided...

Driving distractions are a major contributor to accidents on Scotland’s roads. “It is really easy to become distracted on the road which means that people need to be more vigilant” says Michael McDonnell, Director of Road Safety Scotland. “It is so frustrating to hear that an accident has been caused by driver distraction mainly because it could probably have been avoided.

“There is a number of ways to reduce the risk of being distracted, for example, ask your friends to be more considerate when you’re driving and; if you do need to something distracting, find a safe place to pull over before doing it; use technology sensibly and concentrate on your driving.”

One distraction and there could be consequences...
Many people think that, as long as they’re within the speed limit, they’re not breaking the law but the reality is that drivers can be stopped by the police for careless or inconsiderate driving and there is a range of offences for which people can be stopped and charged, even something as simple as driving without due care and attention.

One distraction is all that it takes to cause an accident, so stay focused and don’t risk it.

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