Driving needs your full attention, but the dangers of distraction on the road are many. These can be both visual (you’re looking at it) and cognitive (you’re thinking about it).
Anything that diverts a driver's attention for more than two seconds can significantly increase the likelihood of a crash. In 2020, there were 23 deaths and 125 serious injuries as a result of distraction on the roads.
Mobile phones
We’ve all seen it and know what’s going on – signs that someone is using their phone while driving are the sneaky lap-glance, that one driver who is slow to move in the queue, or sloppy lane-keeping. To avoid distraction, connect hands-free to the vehicle and store the phone out of reach; or remove temptation altogether by switching it off.
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Another precautionary step you might want to take is when your mobile connects to your car via Bluetooth. Many smart phones now allow you to activate “do not disturb” mode when you are driving.
It is illegal to send and receive text messages, emails, or take calls on hand-held mobile devices while driving in New Zealand. The penalty is a $150 fine and 20 demerit points on your licence.
Navigation
There are many types of satellite navigation devices available to drivers. Many modern vehicles now include it as standard, but some motorists buy an external device or use maps on their mobile phones. Sat-nav can distract the driver and increase the chance of an accident.
As a driver, it is important to know how to best use your sat-nav. Set a destination before you depart, or pull over where safe to enter a destination. The potential distraction is why many manufacturers inhibit you from adding an address into sat-nav while the vehicle is in motion.
Food
Plan to grab a delicious pie while on that road trip. Don’t be tempted to eat that gravy filled delight while driving. It’s not illegal to eat behind the wheel, but it is considered a distraction. According to a study conducted by the University of Leeds, snacking drivers had up to 44 per cent slower reaction times than normal; drivers with a drink in their hand took 22 per cent longer to react than those with both hands on the wheel.
If you can’t resist temptation then adopt a no-food-in-car policy, break up a road trip, get out of the car and into the fresh air and perhaps indulge in that pie at a great picnic spot.
Music
While the main benefit of listening to music while driving is that it makes the journey a lot more fun, skipping a song, channel surfing on the radio, or setting up music players can be a distraction.
It’s also important that you keep the volume of music reasonable, so you are able to hear how the vehicle is running and what’s happening on the road around you.
This also goes for the wearing of headphones - the driver will be less likely to be aware of surroundings, hear the sirens of emergency services, or another motorist’s horn sounded as a warning of potential danger.
A study by Nelson and Nilsson comparing headphone and speaker effects on simulated driving found that drivers listening to headphones took over 200ms longer to react to developing hazards.
If you are streaming your music from a device, have that ideal road trip playlist loaded and ready to roll so you don’t need to skip songs you don’t like. If you’re driving with others, get your passengers to control the music.
Pets
Pets can be a big distraction – particularly if they’re unrestrained. You can never be sure how they’re going to react, especially if they are not familiar with a car journey. A spooked pet can be very unpredictable, and what better place to hide than down by the driver’s feet? It’s important to correctly restrain pets, for everyone’s safety.
Applying makeup
The application of makeup while looking into the rear-view mirror may cause an accident. Applying makeup while driving will slow your reaction time by double and cause you to be less aware of your surroundings.
Pay attention!
Being distracted is very risky, and you could face very serious charges should that distraction lead to an injury or death if you crash. If your eyes are off the road, even at just 30km/h you have travelled 8m/second, so two seconds looking away equals 16m (more than three car lengths). At 100km/h it’s 28m/second.
Make sure that you stay safe and fully concentrate on the road.
Remember that it could only take a moment of distraction to cause a world of hurt.