Adult Passengers are a Major Source of Distraction

Adult passengers are the biggest in-car distraction for drivers, a survey of 18,026 AA members reveals.

Mobile phones, sat navs and other forms of technology frequently have the finger pointed at them as the primary cause of distraction on UK roads, but a new survey carried out by the AA revealed that almost two out of every five AA member, a total amounting to 38%, said their focus was ‘significantly’ compromised by other people in the car for the ride.

Somewhat surprisingly, more respondents found adults to be a source of distraction than they found children.

The research also reveals that “old tech” in cars can still play a significant role in taking a driver’s eye off the road. Here are the main causes of distraction according to the study:

Adult passengers – 18%
Trying to switch radio channels – 16%
Children in the back seat – 14%
Using sat nav – 13%
Talking on the phone – 12%
Eating a sandwich – 9%
Drinking coffee/ water/ other drinks – 7%
Responding to texts – 5%
Sending/ checking emails – 1%
Checking social media – 1%
Smoking a cigarette – 1%

While these statistics are interesting, it is still apparent that of all driver distractions, a mobile phone is still the most dangerous – taking attention away from the road for longer periods and statistically more likely to be the root cause of a road traffic accident and serious injury than the other items listed. In fact, government statistics show that mobile phone-related accidents have a 3% fatality rate, double that of any other in-car distraction.

The reasons for this may be complicated. On one hand, it is possible people are less likely to admit to mobile phone use in cars because of a growing stigma attached to it. Also the cerebral nature of the activity may cause more serious distractions than, say, eating a sandwich.

Overall, of the 6,867 respondents distracted, 548 (8%) had a near miss and 106 (1.5%) had a crash. Distracted drivers caused a total of 88 fatalities in the year 2012, roughly 5% of all deaths on Britain’s roads.