Almost one in ten road accidents are caused by distracted drivers, research has revealed.
A study by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and Vision Critical discovered 9% of road-users have crashed due to disturbance, with 4% of incidents resulting in injury or worse.
The research also revealed that 18% of the 500 drivers who admitted to suffering a near-miss later went on to actually having a crash.
Simon Best, Chief Executive of the IAM, said: “If you think you can multitask and drive then think again.
“Using mobile phones and other distractions were a factor in more than one hundred deaths on our roads last year, every one of them avoidable.”
“Using mobile phones and other distractions were a factor in more than one hundred deaths on our roads last year, every one of them avoidable.”
Simon Best, IAM
The biggest distractions were found to be children (29%), changing radio station (27%), back seat drivers (26%), mobile phones (24%), satellite navigation (15%) and attractive pedestrians, drivers or passengers (14%).
Drivers from London and the South East are most crash-prone, with 14% admitting distractions caused them to crash.
The lowest accident rates are in Wales (3%), Yorkshire and Humber (4%) and South West England (5%).
