MISSING A CALL Think! Switch it off when you drive
A new publicity campaign aimed at warning drivers of the dangers of using a mobile phone whilst driving is being launched by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR).
The campaign draws on a research study that demonstrates that if you drive and use a mobile phone you are four times more likely to have an accident. The message is: "Think! Switch it off before you drive."
Radio ads, posters and a TV film convey how difficult it is to concentrate on two things at the same time. Being distracted by a phone will impair a driver's concentration, which will increase the chances of an accident.
Road Safety Minister David Jamieson said:
"More and more people own mobile phones and research has shown that using them whilst driving greatly increases the risk of an accident. Even the most careful of drivers will be distracted by a phone call or text message, and that will affect their concentration and anticipation." "Our advice is to use your voicemail or message service or to stop in a safe place - not a motorway hardshoulder - if you need to use your phone. Missing a call won't kill you - an accident quite possibly could."
Recent figures suggest that 80% of car drivers own, or have access to, a mobile phone according to a Canadian study by Redelmeir and Tibshirani, 1997 (Canada)* examined the mobile phone bills of 699 drivers involved in accidents - immediately prior to their accident, and on other days to establish a control. Their findings were that the use of mobile phones in vehicles is associated with a quadrupling of the risk of a collision during the brief period of a call.
The principal author of the study is Dr. Donald Redelmeir
"Using a mobile phone while driving is associated with an approximately four-fold increase in risk compared with not using the phone; this is similar to driving with a blood alcohol level at the legal limit."
Dr. Donald Redelmeir's primary appointment is that of Associate Professor, Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He also has a cross appointment in the Department of Health Administration at the University of Toronto and is the Director of Clinical Epidemiology Unit at the Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Sciences Centre. His key research interests are listed as medical decision science, clinical epidemiology and health care economics. The co-author of this study was Dr. R. J. Tibshirani.
The Highway Code Rule 127 states that:
"You must exercise proper control of your vehicle at all times. Never use a hand held mobile phone or microphone when driving. Using hands free equipment is also likely to distract your attention from the road. It is far safer not to use any telephone while you are driving - find a safe place to stop first."
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