Using your Smartphone whilst driving? You know it’s dangerous!

The figures regarding technological distractions at the wheel make interesting reading. A recent study by the French association of motorway operators (ASFA) shows that 57% of drivers look at their phone whilst driving when they receive a notification. This behaviour can have dramatic consequences, especially on the motorway where a vehicle travels an average of over 36 metres per second. A distraction of 3 seconds therefore equates to travelling over 100 metres without looking at the road!
 
Numerous distractions: review with Claire Duffossé
 
The distractions from driving are more numerous than you might think. To help us recognise them better, let’s listen to the interview with Claire Dufossé, an expert in safety and road signage with APRR.
 
“Distractions can easily take our attention away from driving. They mainly relate to multimedia devices: using a mobile phone, tuning the radio, or setting the GPS. But they also include watching television in your car or truck... Which can happen, as well as coming across someone watching a film on his PC, for example!”
“And then,” Claire goes on, “you have activities that are in addition to driving. Such as a distraction caused by a passenger, rummaging in the glovebox, or eating... these cause you to lower your concentration on driving. If you have to do something other than drive, the best advice is to stop at a service area, because, on average, there is one every 20 km on a motorway.”
 
- You mentioned television, using your hands to make a phone call ... We should also mention that it is illegal and if there is an accident, then you are liable.  
“Yes, it’s illegal. If you want to write a message or make a call, you must always stop in a service area so that you can do it in complete safety. Not just for your own safety, but for that of others as well.”
 
- Regarding SMS, texts, short messages... they're quick to do, right? But it’s very dangerous, isn’t it? 
“It’s not as quick as it seems, and in fact, if something happens up ahead, you need time to see it and react to it, and often it's already too late. On the motorway, in normal weather conditions, you do around 130 km/h. That means that you need a long braking distance, of about 230 metres, and then there's the time to notice a hazard and to react to it.” “As for hands-free kits, they are allowed,” Claire states, “but the danger here is that you focus on the conversation and not strictly on the road. It’s different when you are talking to a passenger next to you, because they can also see what is happening and quickly stop speaking. Not so when you are on the phone with a hands-free kit.  It’s allowed, but in all cases you should avoid telephoning whilst driving.”   
Using earpieces and headphones at the wheel has been prohibited since 2015, in order to prevent the bubble effect that isolates us from our surrounding environment.
 
Next week we will be looking at a co-pilot that has given 30 years of loyal service to road safety, and which you know well:  Autoroute INFO (107.7 FM) !