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Younger drivers most likely to be distracted at wheel
Almost four out of 10 UK drivers admit they get ''seriously distracted'' while behind the wheel, with younger motorists the worst affected, a new survey from the RAC has found.

Published: 6:38AM BST 16 Sep 2009

A quarter of drivers aged 17 to 24 admitted texting while at the wheel Photo: GETTY
More than half (55 per cent) of drivers aged 17 to 24 said they became distracted, according to the RAC Report on Motoring.

Drivers said changing the CD or music controls in their car was the most likely gadget to distract them (57 per cent).

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More than a fifth of drivers said they were distracted from the road by warning lights on their dashboard.

A quarter of drivers aged 17 to 24 admitted texting while at the wheel, although only 3 per cent thought it was acceptable behaviour and 16 per cent said they had put on make-up while driving.

The RAC said those in the South West were most likely to lose concentration, with 45 per cent admitting it, while Yorkshire drivers were the least likely at 32 per cent.

Drivers in London said they were most likely to be distracted by their mobile phone (55 per cent), while Scots were the least likely (22 per cent).

The research also considered the effect of distractions on driving.

The RAC said during the five seconds it takes to change a CD, a car travelling at 70mph will have travelled the length of nearly two football pitches (156 metres).

David Bizley, the RAC's technical director, said: ''This clearly shows that in-car distractions continue to be a significant road safety issue, especially for the new generation of drivers.

''While in-car gadgets do make journeys easier and more entertaining, it's important that they are used appropriately. Even a split-second distraction can have potentially disastrous consequences.

''Legislation to limit certain distractions is in place, but it's evident that many of the Government's messages are not getting through to motorists.

''You only have to consider the number of motorists that continue to text and drive to see that greater awareness of how to use in car-technology responsibly is needed.''

The RAC said the latest Department for Transport figures showed that the number of fatal accidents on UK roads involving a distraction in a vehicle as a ''contributory factor'' increased by 50 per cent between 2005 and 2007, from 50 to 75.

:: 1,109 British motorists who drive at least once a month were surveyed in April.

More than a fifth of drivers said they were distracted from the road by warning lights on their dashboard.

''Legislation to limit certain distractions is in place, but it's evident that many of the Government's messages are not getting through to motorists.

:: 1,109 British motorists who drive at least once a month were surveyed in April.

Is that not the point of warning lights?

Well done to the RAC who have carried out a survey and found the obvious.

They could have saved themselves a lot of money and grief and just asked.

Sometimes things that seem obvious are not very obvious at all .... put two containers in a freezer, one containing hot water one containing cold water ..... which one freezes first? Seems like a simple question with a very obvious answer. Without actually doing it and seeing the result I don't think many people would get it right, and if they did would be hard pushed to provide an explanation of why.

Sometimes things that seem obvious are not very obvious at all .... put two containers in a freezer, one containing hot water one containing cold water ..... which one freezes first? Seems like a simple question with a very obvious answer. Without actually doing it and seeing the result I don't think many people would get it right, and if they did would be hard pushed to provide an explanation of why.

As always, the devil is in the detail (detail which usually isn't described) and the confounding factors it brings.

If all factors are not fully described it's not possible to come up with a correct answer.

Is that not the point of warning lights?