A survey conducted by NRMA Insurance shows that the majority of motorists continue to take risks by making phone calls while driving. Drivers had been continually taking risks by using their mobile phones while sitting behind the wheel, the survey revealed.
The study of 415 New South Wales drivers found that 88 per cent of motorists made phone calls while they were driving a car. According to the survey, sending text messages was the second most common phone misdemeanour, with 68 per cent of drivers surveyed admitting to sending SMS (Short Message Service) while driving.
Two in five drivers (40 per cent) said that they used phone applications such as weather forecasts or news website applications while driving, while 25 per cent used social media sites to “tweet” or update their Facebook statuses.
Perhaps, the most alarming statistic was that 38 per cent of those surveyed said they took random photos while driving.
NRMA Insurance spokeswoman Adele Buhagiar said that the latest results proved that drivers were not paying heed to warnings regarding using mobile phones while driving.
“The research shows that our appetite for technology even extends to the time when we are driving, with one in four admitting that they are updating their status or tweeting while at the wheel,” Buhagiar says.
Buhagiar said the number of drivers taking pictures when behind the wheel was the biggest surprise.”Losing focus while behind the wheel, even if it is only for a split second, may cause the worst to happen,” she says.
Car manufacturers had been reacting to the more prevalent use of mobile phones, with even the most affordable vehicles on the market increasingly offering wireless phone connectivity as a standard modification. This system was widely seen as much safer, as the drivers could keep their hands on the steering wheel while listening to a call and it was also legal as it did not require holding the mobile phone in the hands.
Car makers had been working to better integrate smart phones and even tablet computers into vehicles. But there had been growing debate about driver distractions and whether car makers should be forced to ban the use of phones in cars.
Furthermore, cars were expected to be built with media systems that would allow drivers to “tweet” or update their Facebook statuses by voice control. Indeed, there were already some inexpensive aftermarket Bluetooth phone systems that offered this technology.
