Have you ever taken a selfie or sent a text when driving your car? If so, have you had a crash related to using your mobile phone? The latest research shows that rear end shunts have risen by as much as 7% in the last three years. These figures have been researched by Accident Exchange and this is what Liz Fisher the director of sales development at the company had to say about this latest research: “There’s no obvious explanation because the nation’s roads are full of safer, more advanced vehicles which, in some cases, are supposed to help a driver to avoid collisions. However, it could be argued that increased connectivity in cars means the modern driver has more distractions while at the wheel from other technology, like mobile phones or MP3 players.” As can be seen from the above statement, new technologies inside cars could be the causes of this rise in rear end shunts. Although there has been several manufacturers who have brought out new technology such as collision avoidance systems which can make the newest cars brake automatically, most of the cars on the roads of the UK do not have this technology. On average, each rear end collision costs insurers an average of £2000 and it is stated in the highway code that it is the fault of the person who crashes into the rear of the car. There are exceptions to this if the other car quickly slows down for no reason. Other research has showed that 1 in 10 people have taken selfies when driving. This is obviously higher for 17-24 year olds and the survey was taken for 2000 motorists. A third of these surveyed admitted to using their mobile phone while driving and 9% of these had been involved in a crash while using their phone when driving. This selfie trend has caused a bit of a stir among safety experts and this is what a spokesperson at Brake had to say: “This is a case of selfie selfishness. Using a phone in any way at the wheel dramatically increases the risk of crashing and killing or seriously injuring someone. It is very worrying to see the numbers of drivers engaging in this dangerous behaviour, particularly younger drivers who are already at higher risk of crashing due to their age and inexperience.” What is your opinion on people taking selfies when driving and the rise in car crashes linked to mobile phones? Share your views in our comments box below.
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