Drivers Ignore Little Things

Everyone does it, sitting in the car eating a sandwich as you don’t have time to stop for a proper lunch, light a cigarette, fiddle with the stereo to get the radio station or CD track you want. Most of us wouldn’t dream of taking a swig from a bottle of beer in the car whilst driving so why do we drink from a bottle of water and think nothing of it?

It seems we are ignoring the fact that we can be easily distracted from driving by minor things. The serious issues such as driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs and using a phone at the wheel are likely to be respected. Many motorists, however, routinely ignore other safety recommendations, says a survey done by a leading high street bank.

It appears that 94% of those asked said that they never drove after drinking alcohol, and 79% did not use their mobile phone while driving. This is encouraging news and shows that people are taking these major issues to heart.

On the other hand, though, far fewer followed other driving "best practice" suggestions. Apparently 39% said they did not take a break after driving for more than two hours and 40% claimed that they would eat and drink while driving.

More than three fifths of all respondents said that they did not maintain a "two chevron" distance from car in front said the survey.

"It is clear from this research that for their own safety, drivers need to pay attention to advice and road rules. Driving safely is paramount," said a representative of the bank.

"Many accidents, road rage incidents and subsequent insurance claims could be avoided by simply adhering to rules such as staying two chevrons away from the car in front and not talking on a mobile phone whilst driving."

If you would like to know more about driving why not ask AnswerBank Motoring.