Driver distraction

There has been much attention on driver distraction due to the use of mobile phones in vehicles, but increasingly research is also revealing the dangers of other forms of driver multi-tasking, and its contribution to road collisions.

Although our driver distraction factsheet talks mainly about driver distraction, other road users, including riders, cyclists, and even pedestrians can also be distracted when using the road. 

Although it has been noted that headphones can cause hearing damage, much less attention has been paid to the effects of headphones on the quality of driving. It is expected that drivers who are wearing headphones would need to shift their attention from what they hear in their headphones to external sound sources in certain situations, which could delay the speed of their response to external events. This is thought to be dangerous enough to form a risk in emergency situations. 

Our headphones as a driving distraction factsheet provides an overview of the evidence relating to headphones as a driving distraction. 

Several types of satellite navigation are available to drivers, many of which are built into the vehicle itself. However, increasingly, mobile phones secured in a cradle are being used as sat navs. 

Used well, a sat nav can help drivers plan routes and prevent them from making last minute lane changes or hesitating because they are not sure of the directions. However, a badly used sat nav can distract the driver and increase the risk of a collision. It is important that drivers understand how best to use their sat nav and learn not to use it when it may be dangerous to do so. 

Our satellite navigation factsheet provides advice on making the best use of a sat nav and choosing the best device. 

Over the last decade, there has been a huge increase in the digital technology available to motorists, allowing them to perform tasks that are unrelated to driving while they are behind the wheel. One of the biggest developments in this period has been the rise of infotainment systems. This refers to vehicle systems that combine entertainment and information delivery for drivers and passengers, often with the use of audio and touchscreens. 

Whilst infotainment systems can be handy for the driver, allowing them to carry out many tasks, there is also the potential that they can be a distraction – more so than traditional radio systems. Distraction is a serious road safety problem: in 2022, there were 2,616 road traffic collisions where ‘distraction inside vehicle’ was cited as the contributory factor – 76 of these collisions were fatal.