Texting at the wheel takes its toll

car insurance quote - How important is it to send a text while you’re driving? As important as someone’s life? Of course not. But it’s incredibly tempting to read and even respond to texts while at the wheel. And it’s incredibly dangerous, as recent incidents confirm.

Tragic texts

There’s the case of 13-year-old Hope Fennell, who was crushed by an 18-ton lorry on her way home from school.

The driver, Darren Foster, had been arguing with his girlfriend via text in the run-up to the accident. He was so worried the texts would be used against him that he deleted them from his phone while Hope lay dying.

Foster admitted dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice, but the coroner ruled that he was not to blame for Hope’s death.

Then there’s 19-year-old Jordan Wickington, who was cycling to work when he was run down by Kiera Coultas.

She was composing a text message at the time, and was subsequently jailed for four years after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

Texting at the wheel takes its toll - car insurance quote

Mobile menace

In 2012, 378 accidents were reported involving the use of mobile phones at the wheel, according to the Department for Transport. The accidents led to 548 casualties and 17 deaths.

But the actual death toll is probably much higher. So-called ‘in-vehicle distractions’, which could include mobile phones, led to more than 9,000 accidents and 196 deaths between 2010 and 2012.

Driver ignorance

It has been illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone at the wheel for a decade, but many motorists are ignorant of the law.

RAC research shows that 12% of drivers do not know that texting and driving is illegal and 21% do not realise it is illegal to check Facebook and Twitter while driving.

If that were not bad enough, a shocking 61% of motorists have not got the message that texting at the wheel of a stationary car with the engine on is also against the law.

Research findings

The research perhaps explains why it’s so common to see someone chatting on their mobile while on the move.

In the RAC survey, three quarters of motorists reported regularly spotting a driver on a hand-held mobile, with almost half claiming they witness other motorists talking on a mobile on most journeys.

Texting while a car is stationary is common, with over half of motorists (53%) regularly seeing other people texting in stationary traffic during half or some of their journeys.

Perception gap

We might be happy to tell tales on other road users, but we are apparently less keen to confess to our own crimes, with just 8% admitting to using a hand-held phone while driving.

Yet many of us are aware of the dangers. Over a third (34%) worry about other drivers being distracted by talking on mobile phones while at the wheel.

The distractions are indeed serMaybe we don’t expect to be caught. Just over half (51%) believe it is unlikely they will be caught sending texts while their car is stationary while four in 10 (42%) motorists think it unlikely they will be collared for texting while driving, and 16% consider it ‘extremely unlikely’.

Or perhaps there is not a strong enough deterrent. If you are caught, the punishment is three penalty points and a £100 fine, rising to a possible £1,000 on conviction in court.

Tougher penalties

There is a therefore a growing call for tougher penalties, with many experts believing that drivers caught on their mobiles should at the very least receive a one-year ban – the same punishment as drink drivers.

A police crackdown wouldn’t go amiss, either. Or maybe a hard-hitting public awareness campaign, similar to the anti-speeding and anti drink-driving campaigns.

Of course, it’s too late for many bereaved families. But it’s never too late to save another life. So next time you want to pick up your mobile, just think, who is really dying to take the call.ious. The Transport Research Laboratory, a private think tank, has conducted some research into the effect of mobiles on the driving skills of motorists between the ages of 17 and 24.

The results show that reaction times slowed by 13% when drivers were at the drink drive limit, by 21% when they were high on cannabis, by 26.5% when speaking on a hands-free mobile and by 37% when texting.

Getting away with it

So why are so many motorists happy to use their mobile behind the wheel? 

Texting at the wheel takes its toll - car insurance quote

Would you stop a drug driver?

car insurance quote - We all know that driving under the influence of any substances is wrong and dangerous. If you’ve taken something that impairs your driving ability and you then get behind the wheel, you’re putting people’s lives at risk. But it’s when it’s comes to illegal drugs, it seems we are most unlikely to stand up for ourselves – and our safety.

The UK’s drug drive dilemma

Recent research from road safety charity, Brake, carried out in conjunction with Direct Line, found that the equivalent of one million UK drivers (a not-insignificant 3%) admit to driving on drugs in the last 12 months.

The study also found that over one-in-10 believe (11%) they’ve been a passenger of a drug driver and almost a third (29%) admit they wouldn’t always speak out to stop a friend from driving on drugs.

And even more alarming is the fact that one-in-20 (5%) wouldn’t speak out even if it was clear the driver was completely out of control.

So why we so reluctant to stand up to drug drivers?

car insurance quote - Would you stop a drug driver?

One possibility is that, because drug-taking is illegal, confronting a friend who has taken drugs means bringing it out in the open, and this could have wider-reaching consequences, particularly if the police end up getting involved.

And so taking a risk and keeping the drug taking under wraps might seem like the easier option – but it’s also the option that puts people’s lives most at risk, particularly as there’s no telling exactly how drug taking can affect your driving ability.

Common effects of drug driving

Illegal drugs can impair driving ability in a number of ways and, unlike the effects of some prescription drugs, can also be highly unpredictable given their unregulated and variable nature.

As with alcohol, the effect drug-taking has on the mind and body varies between individuals and can even be affected by your original state of mind when taking the drug. However, the effects can last for days, even if you’re unaware of it.

These are likely effects on your driving when taking the following common illegal drugs:

• Cannabis: Slows your reaction times, affects your coordination and concentration and makes you drowsy.
• Stimulant drugs (such as cocaine, speed and ecstasy): Distort your perceptions and make you jumpy. They can also make you over-confident or paranoid and confused.
• Opiates (such as heroin): Make you feel relaxed and sleepy, slowing reaction times and impairing coordination.

Although levels of drug driving have not been fully recorded, a study by the Transport Research Laboratory found 18% of drivers and 16% of motorcyclists killed in road crashes had traces of illegal drugs in their system, the most common being cannabis.

It’s estimated that 200 deaths a year are as a result of drug driving.

Dealing with drug driving

On March 2, 2015 a new law will land making it an offence to get the behind the wheel with drugs in your system which will remove the need to prove impairment and make it much easier for police to prosecute. In short, if you fail a drugs test, you’re in hot water regardless of whether your driving was affected or not.

Police will use roadside drug testing devices to catch drug drivers and the offence will carry a possible six-month jail term, a maximum fine of £5,000 and an automatic 12-month driving ban.

Kevin Pratt, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “Drug driving is just as deadly as drink driving and should be taken just as seriously as the consequences can be just as far reaching, particularly if you run into someone while under the influence.

“Even if you’re lucky enough to avoid an accident, if you’re prosecuted for drug driving the implications stretch beyond a possible fine and driving ban – at best, your car insurance premium will increase, but you could find that you’re refused insurance and you could even lose your job as a result of the criminal conviction.”

So the message is clear – just say ‘no’. Would you stop a drug driver? - car insurance quote,