Skip to main content

UK motorists concerned about increase in mobile phone use while driving

Over 86 per cent of UK motorists think distraction caused by mobile phones has become worse in the last three years, according to the second Safety Culture Survey commissioned by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart. In second place was congestion at 81 per cent, reflecting the increasing number of vehicles on the roads as the recession ends. Of the 2,000 UK drivers surveyed, nearly three quarters believed aggressive driving had worsened over the last three years, with more than 60 per cent reporting the
November 23, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Over 86 per cent of UK motorists think distraction caused by mobile phones has become worse in the last three years, according to the second Safety Culture Survey commissioned by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart.  In second place was congestion at 81 per cent, reflecting the increasing number of vehicles on the roads as the recession ends.  

Of the 2,000 UK drivers surveyed, nearly three quarters believed aggressive driving had worsened over the last three years, with more than 60 per cent reporting the same for drug-driving.

The survey asked about the potential car driving problems faced by motorists now compared to three years ago, perceived threats to personal safety whilst driving, support for potential new regulations and many other aspects of motoring life.

Many UK drivers believe the dangers of mobile phones and technology are bigger threats than any other factor on the roads. Some 94 per cent considered drivers checking or updating social media as a threat to their personal safety, while 93 per cent said that was the case for drivers text messaging or e-mailing, and for 91 per cent it was the case for drivers talking on mobile phones.

Some 89 per cent of those surveyed felt people driving after drinking alcohol was a threat to their safety compared to 88 per cent who felt that about those who took illegal drugs and then drove.

There is also huge approval for stricter measures to prevent and reduce drivers using mobile technology in cars, including banning reading or sending text messages, regulating in-car technology to minimise distraction to drivers and prohibiting mobile phone use while driving. Nearly two-thirds agreed that all drivers be encouraged to improve their driving skills by taking advanced driving tuition and passing an advanced driving test.

In the wake of the survey, IAM RoadSmart has also issued road safety tips in time for Road Safety Week, the UK's biggest road safety event.

These include switching off the mobile phone when you get behind the wheel, keeping to the speed limit, always wearing a seatbelt, giving space to motorcyclists, slowing down near schools and in residential areas and not jumping red lights.

Related Content

  • Developments in signal head lens technology
    February 3, 2012
    Heads and tails Leading manufacturers of traffic signal systems discuss developments in signal head technology as well as some of the legacy issues which affect future deployments Transparent model of Dambach's ACTROS.line technology, showing the bus electronics in the signal head Cowls could be superseded by the greater use of lens technology
  • Harmonisation of Europe's ITS deployment still unbalanced
    January 31, 2012
    Dean Herenda, Chairman of the EasyWay project, talks about the progress made and the progress still to be made in harmonising ITS deployment across the European Union. "The deployment and use of ITS in road transport across Europe was and still is unbalanced" Although Europe can be proud of being home to some of the world's most advanced ITS solutions, the relative disparities between Member States of the European Union (EU) in terms of the extent and technological sophistication of deployments actually sta
  • Venkat Sumantran: ‘Smart cities are more hype than reality’
    November 23, 2018
    For all the talk of smart cities, investment in systems lags significantly behind organic expansion in most places. Andrew Stone talks to Venkat Sumantran, who has been looking at how to create a coherent framework which could help authorities answer multiple mobility questions Two megatrends are posing unprecedented challenges to those trying to keep people moving around the world’s urban areas now - and in the years and decades to come. The first is rapid urbanisation. One in six of us lived in urban a
  • Survey finds driver demand for connected cars is growing
    July 18, 2014
    Research just released by telecommunications company Telefónica suggests that consumers are ready for connected cars. According to the study, there is sufficient global demand for connected car services, with more than 70 per cent of drivers surveyed saying that they are interested in using, or are already using, connected car services. The survey found that around half of consumers now consider connected features, such as inbuilt connectivity and the ability to plug in a smartphone, a key part of their