UK numbers show that phone distractions might become a bigger killer on roads than drunk drivers. This was brought to people’s attention after it became evident that the number of drivers using cell phones to make calls, send SMS’s and update social media has risen to epidemic levels. Distracted driving is expected to be the biggest single cause of death and injuries on the roads in 2015.
The number of offenders using a mobile when driving has more than doubled since 2009 from 1.2% to 2.6%. In 2012, 583 686 drivers were fined £60 (the equivalent of R1100) and three demerit points were added to their driving licence, more than 10 times higher than the 55 300 convictions for drunk-driving at the time. The age group of 18-25 (most likely to use a cell phone while driving) has seen the biggest rise in road deaths.
In June 2014 Volkswagen launched a viral campaign called "Eyes On The Road" to raise awareness of cell phone use in Japan where such behaviour is officially the leading cause of death behind the wheel. The video has been watched more than 26 million times, we just hope it influenced people to rather keep their eyes on the road and not get distracted by their cell phones!
