Car News Articles

Using a mobile phone to text or make a call when driving, has been shown to impair a motorist’s judgement more than driving whilst over the drink limit.

In one experiment, a volunteer was placed behind the wheel of a car travelling at 70 miles per hour on an unused landing strip and was asked to brake when a red light came on inside the car.

When driving unimpaired, the volunteer took just over half a second to respond. Then having had enough to drink to put themselves over the drink-drive limit the volunteer travelled for an extra four feet before hitting the brakes.

The experiment continued with the volunteer being asked to read an e-mail whilst sober and travelling at 70 mph and this saw them travel an extra 36 feet before responding to the red light. However, when asked to send a text whilst sober, the volunteer took an extra 70 feet before slamming on the brakes, compared to when unimpaired.

Studies show that sending a text or talking on a mobile phone when driving is especially common amongst less experienced drivers. Statistics from research carried out in the United States revealed that 37 per cent of teenagers aged between 16-17 years old admitted to sending a text while driving, with more than half saying they had talked on the mobile phone when in charge of a car.

As motor insurance figures show, drivers in their teens and early 20’s cause far more accidents on Ireland’s roads due to their lack of experience and weaker judgements. This age group is more likely to own a mobile phone, making them more likely to be tempted to use it when driving.

However, experienced motorists are not blameless either, with the study showing that one in five adult drivers in the US admitting to sending a text whilst driving in the 30 days prior to the survey being carried out. As many as 67 per cent said they had spoke on their mobile phones when in charge of a vehicle, with 28 per cent admitting to doing it regularly.