One in ten crashes caused by distractions, says IAM

News provided by

Institute of Advanced Motorists

Mar 03, 2014, 19:05 ET

(PRWEB UK) 4 March 2014 -- The IAM is warning drivers about the dangers of distracted driving after latest research found that nearly one in ten (9%) of drivers admit to crashing their cars because they were distracted. Just under one in twenty drivers (4 per cent) say that someone was injured in the crash.

The recent survey IAM/Vision Critical survey, which polled nearly 1500 regular UK drivers aged 18 years and over, also found that of the 500 divers who admitted to having a near miss, almost one in five (18 per cent) then went on have a crash.

The most common distractions are:

  • Children in the car (29%)
  • Changing the radio channel (27%)
  • Back seat drivers (26%)
  • Mobile phone use (24%)
  • Sat nav (15%)
  • Attractive pedestrians, drivers or passengers (14%)

Our most crash-prone drivers come from London and the South East, where 14 per cent of drivers admitted to distraction crashes. The lowest crash rates are in Wales (3%), Yorkshire and Humberside (4%) and South West England (5%),

Men are nearly twice as likely to crash because of a distraction than women (11% and 6%).

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “If you think you can multitask and drive then think again. Using mobile phones and other distractions were a factor in more than one hundred deaths on our roads last year, every one of them avoidable.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Survey undertaken by Vision Critical, total number of respondents: 1447.

2. The IAM is the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, dedicated to improving standards and safety in driving, motorcycling and cycling. The commercial division of the IAM operates through its occupational driver training company IAM Drive & Survive. The IAM has more than 200 local volunteer groups and over 100,000 members in the UK and Ireland. It is best known for the advanced driving test and the advanced driving, motorcycling and cycling courses. Its policy and research division offers advice and expertise on road safety.

ENDS ALL

Media contacts:
IAM Press Office – 020 8996 9777
press.office(at)iam(dot)org.uk
ISDN broadcast lines available
iam.org.uk

Tanvir Nandra, Institute of Advanced Motorists, +44 2089969777, [email protected]