There you are, driving along, minding your own business and your mobile phone does that little “buzzy-jiggy-thing” and emits some random mind-numbing chime that drives everyone but the phone-owner nuts.
Yes, another absolutely essential, can’t-wait-a-second-to-be-read text, probably from the Prime Minister or something like that and it sis demanding your immediate attention.
What do you do? Wait until you reach your destination?
Not according to a recent survey by Halfords which shows 25% of motorists are not only checking texts whilst driving but sending them as well. Other drivers refuse to recognise that the law now prohibits them from making or receiving phone calls whilst driving.
No hands free device? No problem – wedge the phone between your ear and right shoulder, slip it into third, clutch out and “hello mate …. where are you? Yeah yeah – hang on a sec will you I just need to turn right”
Incredibly some people are not just texting and making calls. Apparently they are checking social web sites to make sure they don’t miss any of the “action” on the drive home as well.
Suddenly drink-driving seems to have been replaced with “text-driving” as one of the biggest growing threats to road safety. And we’ve all seen it on the daily commute. More and more drivers are texting, phoning and going on to social networks whilst at the wheel of their car.
Every day you see people either struggling to steer and hold a mobile at the same time or with their eyes down looking at a tiny screen when they should be looking where they are going. Initially we usually notice such drivers for other reasons – either they have failed to indicate or they draw attention to themselves through their obvious lack of concentration.
The survey shows that tougher regulations introduced nearly four years ago are simply not working and most motorists are ignoring the chance of getting a £60 and, more importantly, 3 points on their driving licence.
The survey discovered that there has been a 25% increase, year on year, in the number of motorists who confess to texting or checking texts whilst at the wheel. 41% of us owned up to answering a call whilst driving (not so bad as it wasn’t our fault because we didn’t make the call?) whilst 29% admitted to making at least one call themselves while at the wheel.
Listen up. If you can afford to pay tax, insurance and petrol at £1.29 a litre, you can certainly afford £20.00 for a hands free device. Better still – don’t risk it.
Switch your phone off whilst you are driving and then you won’t be tempted to use it.
Can you really afford three points on your licence just to tell your mate you are 10 minutes from the club? No – I didn’t think so.