About 5% of drivers are distracted by their phone while driving. This is according to data from a study by the state agency “Road Safety”, BTA reported.
There are about 3 million drivers in our country. Of these, about 169,000 drivers at any given moment are ready and using mobile phones while behind the wheel. However, this is the average number of phone users. At some census points, their share jumps to over 60%, according to the survey data.
Each look at the phone and checking who wrote what takes about 5 seconds, the agency writes. Provided that the car is moving at 80 km per hour in that time, it can cover the length of a football field without the driver knowing what is happening around him.
“Would you drive with your eyes closed? Or you bite into a sandwich behind the wheel – it takes about nine seconds, during which at least one hand is occupied. At this point there is an obstacle in the way that you need to avoid. Will you see it in time and manage to react with one hand?“, the agency writes.
There are four types of distractions when driving: visual, physical, mental, and auditory. Each of them takes critical seconds in which a traffic accident can occur.
“Research shows that when we do two things at once, the brain switches between tasks. For example, while watching a movie you also look at the phone, you miss parts of the movie. Every additional task we burden the brain with while driving a vehicle reduces the ability to drive safely and increases the risk of a traffic accident because driving is a mental activity“, the agency said.
From there, they advise everyone to be careful when traveling and to prepare before leaving. This includes adjusting seats and mirrors and remembering that summer heat can lead to dizziness and even heat stroke.
“In the height of summer, the temperature in parked cars can exceed 60 degrees Celsius. It happens that the driver is in a hurry, gets into the car and leaves. In this situation, the risk is underestimated, because 15 minutes of staying in such a heated car can lead to heatstroke, even while driving. Take your time, wait for the vehicle to cool down or open the windows to ventilate“, their message reads.
More frequent breaks and intake of plenty of fluids are also recommended because of the risk of dehydration.
