Roadside Eye-Catchers Drive Motorists To Distraction
By James Gore
UK drivers are putting themselves at risk because they struggle
to keep their eyes on the road.
According to new research by Privilege Insurance, one in four
drivers in the UK (23 per cent) have become so distracted by
roadside eye-catchers that they have actually veered out of
lane, causing driving chaos.
Roadside objects such as billboards, flashing signs and
Christmas decorations cause a third of motorists (32 per cent)
to lose concentration while behind the wheel. And 41 per cent of
these drivers confess to being distracted for up to 5 seconds -
which equates to driving 15 car lengths at 30mph - two and a
half times the stopping distance needed at this speed. At 60mph,
this means drivers would find themselves travelling at least the
length of a football pitch without their full concentration on
the road.
Overall roadside distractions are pulling the attention of 83
per cent of UK drivers away from the roads, Privilege finds.
And it's male drivers who are most affected as one in five (22
per cent) confess to being captivated by scantily-clad women on
adverts, compared to just one in ten female drivers by
semi-naked male models (11 per cent).
As public spaces become cluttered with illuminating and moving
visuals, 26 per cent of British drivers have been distracted by
huge advertising hoardings, a fifth (21 per cent) by the new
vehicle activated signs and 17 per cent by Christmas lights and
decorations.
Dr Mark Young, an expert in transport ergonomics at Brunel
University, said: "While we currently know a lot more about
in-vehicle distractions such as mobile phones than external
distractors, there is a growing body of concern about the lack
of any coherent strategy for arranging roadside furniture.
"Drivers' visual workload varies through the course of a
journey, and at crucial times - negotiating a difficult
roundabout, for example, there is a small but significant risk
of distraction from novel stimuli like advertising. In fact,
this risk is probably underestimated and we need to do more
research on the possibility of excluding non-essential
information when the driver is already busy dealing with the
road."
Ian Parker, Managing Director of Privilege Insurance, said: "It
appears that the development of new technologies, products and
advertising techniques is getting in the way of road safety. The
implications of the increase in eye-catching roadside objects
such as illuminating signs has not been monitored until today.
Privilege is providing motorists with tips on how to concentrate
while driving amid the increase in distracting objects."
To help drivers focus on the roads, relevant signs and drive as
safely as possible, Privilege is providing drivers with the
following tips and advice:
- Try to take notice only of official signs and notices which
are crucial for driving. Try saying them out loud as you pass
them if it helps make you concentrate on them. If someone asks
you what the last sign was, you should be able to tell them.
- Constantly scan the road environment for other potential
hazards. Don't let your vision wander off from the beaten track.
- When you are stationary try to keep your gaze on the traffic
in front - or any road signals. Listen to mid-paced music to
relieve boredom, rather than allow your concentration to wander
to roadside distractions.
Privilege specialises in offering highly competitive insurance
for safe drivers, with a guarantee to beat fully comprehensive
renewal quotes for any driver with 4 years+ no claims discount.
For a competitive Privilege quote, telephone 0845 246 8336 or
visit www.privilege.com.
About the author:
James Gore, PR Manager of www.privilege.com for information, news and
quotes for car
insurance in the UK.
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