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

  • Poll: Americans would pay more gas taxes to fund road projects
    June 12, 2014
    Two-thirds of Americans (68 per cent) believe the federal government should invest more than it does now on roads, bridges and mass transit systems, according to a new American Automobile Association (AAA) omnibus survey of 2,013 adults. Only five per cent of respondents believe the federal government should spend less on transportation. These results come as AAA urges members of Congress to increase the fuel tax, which will address significant transportation safety and congestion issues nationwide. The
  • Debating the future of in-vehicle systems
    December 6, 2012
    Industry experts talk to Jason Barnes about the legislative situation of current and future in-vehicle systems. Articles about technology development can have a tendency to reference Moore’s Law with almost indecent regularity and haste but the fact remains that despite predictions of slow-down or plateauing, the pace remains unrelenting. That juxtaposes with a common tendency within the ITS industry: to concentrate on the technology and assume that much else – legislation, business cases and so on – will m
  • ATS report highlights school zone safety
    August 29, 2014
    A report by American Traffic solutions (ATS), How to Help Eliminate Dangers of Traveling to and from School (and Keep Kids Safe), highlights the dangers children face as they travel to and from school and details some of the successes schools and cities are having with new solutions to both change driver behaviour and enhance student safety. Every year, on average, 100 children are killed and 25,000 are injured walking to and from school. Many of these tragedies can be attributed to drivers who are distr
  • 43% increase in UK employees testing positive for drug use in five years
    July 2, 2012
    One in 30 UK employees have drugs in their system at any point in time within the workplace, according to new statistics released today by Concateno, Europe’s leading drug and alcohol screening provider. These findings, part of the ‘High Society: Drug Prevalence in the UK workplace’ research report, are derived from the results of over 1.6 million UK workplace drug tests over the last five years (2007-2011). In the past five years, there has been a 43 per cent increase in UK employees testing positive for