Does mobile technology distract or support drivers
Do mobile technology devices in the vehicle distract or support drivers? The answer is probably yes to both questions!
Gadgets like sat navs have been around for a quite a number of years now. They are an incredibly useful tool for drivers travelling around the UK making deliveries, often in areas the driver is not familiar with. Since their arrival, gone are the days of wrestling with a road map or route planner instructions obtained from the websites of organisations such as the AA and RAC. However, it should be pointed out they do still offer this valuable service and people do still use them!
Instead, we have a calm and reassuring voice giving us instructions on where to go, which way to turn and how long it is going to take us to get there. This means we don’t have to take our hands off the wheel. But how many of us wait until we’ve begun driving before we start trying to input the postcode or street name of where we want to go?
Attempting to input these details with one eye on the road and the other on the display is not ideal and however much of a hurry the driver may be in, it is always a good idea to get the destination stored in the sat nav before setting off. This is much less distracting and much safer for everyone.
Of course, one of the best advantages of sat navs is that they save a lot of time for drivers by suggesting alternative routes in the event of serious congestion, road works and potential delays caused by road traffic accidents.
The ultimate distraction in a vehicle is, of course, the mobile phone. Long before we all started carrying around these devices, they were often referred to as ‘car phones’ and it was only the rich and famous who could afford to have them. The original car phones were usually situated in the back of a luxury vehicle and used by someone being driven.
Today those who feel it necessary to have their phone available for use in transit would be well advised to invest in the right safety equipment. Handsfree cradles and fittings are available which do make their use in the car a lot safer, but there is still a risk attached.
Even taking eyes off the road for a second or so to scroll through numbers can cause peril, so drivers should always pull over to a suitable safe place and make the call. Taking a few minutes to do this will keep them and everyone else on the road a lot safer.
Mobile devices of all kinds have made life a lot easier in many situations, but misuse of them can prove to be extremely costly in terms of driver safety, other road users and the business.
