22% of drivers talk on the phone while driving without using a hands-free kit

If we have not been criticising the DGT for failing to do everything possible to improve road safety, today we must engage in self-criticism: according to a survey carried out by Dekra, 22% of drivers talk on the phone while driving without using a hands-free kit hands-free.

This means that one in every every driver uses a mobile phone while driving without using a hands-free kit. Of those surveyed, 90% say they are aware of the dangers this practice entails.And if they know the risks, why do they do it? It is a dangerous practice for everyone, not only for the person doing it, but for any citizen who crosses their path.

The distraction a driver experiences, especially when looking at the phone to dial, renders even hands-free use ineffective, since, unless there is a voice-dialling system, the phone has to be handled while driving. Some studies claim that using a mobile phone while driving prevents us from perceiving 50% of the information on the road, which considerably increases the risk of accidents.

Although in the late 1980s and for part of the 1990s, mobile phone use even had a life-saving effect on pedestrian and traffic accidents, today, due to the massive number of mobile phones, the trend has changed and the mobile phone is becoming an increasingly frequent cause of accidents.

Survey | Dekra