Two thirds of drivers are often easily distracted

Specsavers’ study of the nation’s driving habits has revealed that two thirds of drivers are often easily distracted. Almost three quarters admit that they do not always give the road ahead their full attention, while 30 percent owned up to having had an accident or near-miss because they were not concentrating properly on the road.

Jim Lythgow, director of strategic alliances for Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, says: “There is no doubt that driving is the most dangerous work-related activity performed by most people in Britain. It is estimated that a third (33%) of road collisions, equalling 1,000 deaths and 13,000 serious injuries a year, involve people driving in the course of their work. In fact, RoSPA calculates that, after deep sea fishing and coal mining, driving 25,000 miles a year on business is the third most dangerous activity in the UK. This is why we are highlighting the issue, along with the need for regular eye examinations for drivers, particularly with the Corporate Manslaughter Act now in place.”

The actions of ordinary drivers may be putting company drivers at risk: The study of 3,000 drivers concluded that the average British driver will spend five hours and 44 minutes behind the wheel each week, including an hour and 56 minutes spent sitting in traffic. This adds up to just over one day each month, which equates to the average motorist spending a staggering 6,182 hours - or eight months and two weeks of their life from the age of 17 - waiting for traffic to move. Rather than waiting patiently, the Specsavers study discovered that bored drivers are often watching what’s going on around them, playing games on their mobile phones and even checking their Facebook profile. Almost one in ten even admits to having had an accident because they became distracted while stuck in a jam.

Those surveyed suggested that traffic jams are now a regular occurrence, with 19 percent in a jam every day and 22 percent finding themselves in a slow-moving or stationary queue of cars a couple of times every week.

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