Quarter of motorists have had an accident or near miss due to in-car distraction

A quarter of drivers have had an accident or near miss as a result of an in-car distraction.
Driven to distractionDriven to distraction
Driven to distraction

Nearly all drivers also admitted they have taken their eyes off the road as a result of an in-car distraction at least once in the last 12 months.

The top distractions that caused a car accident or near miss include:

Adjusting the radio

Kids shouting

Interesting sites and locations outside

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The research, to coincide with Road Safety Week, shows that nearly one in 10 drivers claimed on their insurance following an accident caused by an in-car distraction. These claims cost an average of £472 to repair, costing the insurance industry around £1.3 billion in total.

The findings the recent ‘Give Your Mobile the Boot’ campaign in 2017, which provided tips to help phone-addicted motorists put down their mobiles when driving. Since the 2017 study, the proportion of drivers who check their social media while behind the wheel has decreased from 28% to 3%. While it’s positive that fewer people seem to be using their phone while driving, the same vigilance should be applied to other potential distractions too.

Drivers were about whether they think certain items or behaviours should be banned from cars to make driving safer. The top three distractions drivers thought should be banned are:

Personal grooming, such as brushing hair, putting on make-up and painting nails

Driving with pets not secured in a cage or harness

Wearing flip flops while driving (47%).

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Gareth Davies, Head of Motor Insurance at MORE TH>N, said: “Distractions not only put drivers’ lives at risk, but those of passengers too. If we learn anything during this year’s Safety Week, it should be to remain totally focused while behind the wheel.”