Driver distraction has always been a source of serious accidents. However, it is only within the last two decades that it has became a serious hazard on Australian roads, leading to the ‘fatal four’ dangerous driving behaviours expanding to five.

The culprit here is easy to identify – the increase in distracting technology available in car cockpits. This includes mobile phones, GPS navigation devices and car entertainment systems.

If you’re a P plate driver, you’re probably already aware that state governments take mobile phone distraction seriously. In many states using a mobile phone in any way, up to and including listening to music through a smartphone speaker, is prohibited on a provisional license. Full license holders are also prohibited from various forms of phone interaction while they drive.

Despite legal harsh penalties and the obvious risks inherent in distracted driving, a large number of Australians continue to use their smartphones while driving. According to one study around 60% of young drivers in Australia report texting while driving, while around 33% of drivers over the age of 25 have also sent or received a text while driving.

What is phone distraction?

Even if you’ve never use your phone while driving you’ve probably seen drivers around you coasting down the road with their eyes fixed on a phone. Although this is obviously the most high risk form of phone use while driving, there are other forms of phone distraction that are not as obvious while still being dangerous.

The full range of phone distraction behaviours include:

• sending or receiving a text message
• reading content on a phone screen
• interacting with a phone’s apps
• taking photographs
• making or receiving calls (including calls taken while using a handsfree set).

Why phone distraction is dangerous

Phone use while driving is dangerous for two reasons.

Physical distraction

The first and most obvious reason is that it is physically distracting. Interacting with a phone while driving typically requires a driver to take one hand off the car’s controls while also taking their eyes off the road. This simultaneously reduces drivers’ control over their vehicle and the amount of attention they are paying to what is happening on the road in front of them.

Drivers who use mobile phones will typically shift their attention back and forth between the road and mobile device. This may be sufficient to convince the driver that they’re paying attention to the road, but will nevertheless cause them to drive blind for surprisingly large distances. For example a person who looks at their phone for one second while driving 90 km/h will travel 25 meters – a quarter of the length of a football pitch.

Mobile phone interaction has a particularly big impact on peripheral awareness. One study conducted by researchers at the Queensland University of Technology indicated that mobile phone usage while driving can increase reaction time to hazards that originate in the distracted driver’s peripheral vision by 50%. To put this in context, a study by the University of Texas at San Antonio claimed that drunk driving increases reaction time by a relatively modest 15% – 25%.

Cognitive distraction

While the risks of physical distraction should be fairly obvious, the impact of phone use on cognitive function while driving is easier to underestimate.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that any form of phone use, including holding a conversation on a mobile phone, impairs the cognitive processes required to drive safely. The more complex the road and traffic conditions the more drivers’ cognitive ability will be impaired if they are required to simultaneously engage in a conversation or interact with a phone.

Not only does active mobile phone use impair cognitive performance, but it also has an effect on a driver after they have disengaged from their phone. A study by the University of Utah shed light on this by analysing the cognitive impact of voice-activated systems in cars. The researchers found that complex interactions distract drivers for up to 27 seconds after they end, while less complex ones can still distract a driver for up to 15 seconds after disengaging.

Pedestrians

Drivers are not the only road users placed at increased risk of severe accidents while using mobile devices. Phone use can also have a major impact on pedestrian behaviour. Besides taking their eyes off the road and the potential hazards it presents, pedestrians using mobile phones experience the same narrowing of peripheral vision as drivers. This makes them more vulnerable to being struck by oncoming vehicles while crossing roads.

The deadly effects of phone distraction

The cumulative effects of cognitive and physical distraction can be deadly.

The Canadian Automobile Association reports that drivers engaged in visual manual interactions (texting) are eight times more likely to be involved in a crash while the Queensland Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety claims that risk of an accident increases fourfold for any type of mobile phone use. One study found that 2 seconds of distraction doubles your odds of crashing.

While this sort of information quantifies the more obvious dangers of mobile phone distraction, there are other consequences of distracted driving that are not as obvious.

Reduced reaction time doesn’t just mean the risk of crashing is increased. It also means that drivers have less time, if any, to brake when a collision is imminent. This in turns means that their speed at impact will be relatively higher than if they had reacted more quickly. And a higher speed at impact significantly increases the risk of serious injury or death (see our article on speeding for more information).

Phone distraction fatality statistics in Australia

Because phone distraction is an evolving danger on Australian roads and has attracted the attention of state governments relatively recently, phone distraction fatality statistics in Australia are patchy.

However, using data reported by Queensland and Western Australia provides insight into recent mortality trends for fatal accidents attributed to all forms of inattention while driving.

These statistics show that while fatal accidents caused by inattention currently comprise a relatively small portion of the annual road toll in Queensland and Western Australia, they are increasing rapidly. In fact the number of deaths from inattention related accidents for the most recent year of data for both states was approximately double that of the average for the previous five years.

What this means for you

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that around 42% of all Australians have reported using mobile phones while driving. This despite the fact that the majority of Australians are apparently well aware of the dangers of phone use while driving.

The best way to reduce your risk of involvement in a distraction related accident is to apply your knowledge of the risks involved and avoid any interaction with your mobile phone while you are driving. Save interactions with your phone for moments when your car is parked and not obstructing traffic. Avoid taking or making calls using handsfree systems, particularly when driving in demanding traffic or road conditions. There are also several mobile apps that exist which can help with decreasing phone distractions.

You’ll also need to develop defensive driving skills to protect yourself against the behaviour of other road users who are using mobile phones. Extend your following distance behind cars where the driver appears distracted, and always check oncoming traffic lanes at intersections to ensure approaching cars are decelerating, even if you have right of way.

Responsible use of mobile phones while driving can make you a safer, more attentive driver, and help you to avoid becoming a victim of the inattention of other road users.

UbiCar is a mobile telematics app that tracks and scores driving behaviours such as mobile phone use, braking, cornering, acceleration and speeding and rewards safe drivers.