Skip advert
Advertisement

Most dangerous driving distractions revealed

Sat navs, texting and chatty passengers are the most dangerous distractions while driving, a study shows

An experiment conducted by Carbuyer’s sister title Auto Express and road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has found that programming your sat nav is the deadliest attention-grabber behind the wheel.

Auto Express consumer editor Joe Finnerty and British Formula 3 racing driver Jamie Chadwick were tested in a state-of-the-art driving simulator to see how the most common distractions affected their concentration.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Both had to complete timed laps and brake at a specific point with and without the distractions, and the results were shocking.

Using a sat nav or similar device caused a significant speed reduction in the timed laps, and even racing driver Jamie missed her braking point completely.

IAM RoadSmart’s Tim Shallcross, who was monitoring the tests, said: “The moral? Those warning screens about not entering details on the move are there for a reason – don’t ignore them.”

Sending a text message was the second most dangerous activity, and other distractions looked at included eating, drinking and talking to a passenger.

Shallcross added that someone using a mobile phone while driving would be “a menace to other road users, [as] the car was more or less out of control.”

Even talking to a passenger was found to hinder reaction time in the braking test, showing that any distraction reduces the driver’s attention on the road ahead. In an emergency situation, that could well be the difference between injury or death and avoiding a collision entirely.

Steve Fowler, Auto Express editor, said: “These results highlight just how important it is that drivers give their full attention to the road ahead.

“We’ve seen the staggering numbers of people who are still using phones at the wheel, and these tests show how dangerous they can be – whether it’s texting, calling or programming the sat nav.

“More work needs to be done to target those who still think it’s acceptable to use a phone while driving,” he added.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe: details and first drive of the sleek executive four-door
BMW M235 Gran Coupe front quarter
News
26 Nov 2024

New BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe: details and first drive of the sleek executive four-door

New Ford Puma Gen-E: Britain’s best-selling car goes electric
Ford Puma Gen-E
News
3 Dec 2024

New Ford Puma Gen-E: Britain’s best-selling car goes electric

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s Black Friday offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
29 Nov 2024

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s Black Friday offers

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
21 Oct 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps
Charging station
Tips and advice
23 Jul 2024

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024
Best electric cars
Best cars
16 May 2024

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024