Survey shows increased use of mobile phones while driving

Results from a survey conducted earlier this year in London showed that there has been a significant rise in drivers of all vehicles using hand-held mobile phones. The use of mobile phones was reported to be the highest in North East London.

From 2007, there has been a rising inclination towards the use of hand-held mobile phones. This became prominent with the introduction of increased penalties for using mobile phones while driving. In addition to this, there has been an increase in the use of hands-free phones, especially for taxi drivers, ever since the first survey was conducted in 2006.

Survey results show that drivers who use mobile phones while driving are four times more likely to end up in an accident. BBC Breakfast News’ Richard Scott opted for a test run in the car driving stimulator to gain personal experience on how easy it is to get distracted when using mobile phones.

Outcomes of his drive along with Dr Nick Reed, an analyst from TRL, showed the dangers of driving and using a mobile phone at the same time. The test also included the level of impairment that is caused due to texting while driving. Other important aspects targeted are conversations in vehicles that are related to hazards of using mobile phones and also benchmarking impairment due to alcohol.