Pay Attention At The Front

THE IAM has revealed a worrying statistic as part of a survey regarding distracted driving.

Of almost 1,500 drivers polled, only sixty per cent of drivers were said to concentrate when behind the wheel. The survey by IAM/Vision Critical did, however, also have some good news.

The positive side to this is that older drivers are much less likely to lose concentration while driving. Seventy-three per cent of over 65 year-olds say they concentrate on the road all of the time that they are driving. Twenty-six per cent said that they concentrate most of the time.

That said, 50 per cent of younger drivers aged 18-24 admitted to not concentrating on driving 100 per cent of the time. Not far behind, 47 per cent of 24-34 year olds admit to not concentrating.

And the reason given for a wandering mind? Nearly a quarter of drivers said that daydreaming was the most common reason for not concentrating. Among 18-24 year-olds the figure was 30 per cent.

Other reasons given for not concentrating included stress, thinking about what you will be doing when you arrive at your destination and thinking about family, friends and personal relationships.

Commenting on the survey’s findings, IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Signs of not concentrating such as missed turnings or uncancelled indicator lights are commonplace. Simply not concentrating is a key cause of crashes yet it is not borne out in statistics because drivers rarely admit to it in police reports or on insurance forms.

“These results reconfirm stereotypes surrounding younger drivers and the ease with which they can be distracted away from staying safe. The key is to build up as wide a range of experiences as possible as you learn and to look upon your driving as a skill that needs continuous improvement.”

By Press Association reporters