We’re all aware that being able to drive any type of vehicle takes a great amount of skill. As well as maintaining the correct speeds in designated areas and changing from one gear to another, you also have to be completely focused on the safety element which driving brings.
Owning your own car is one of the ultimate achievements in life, but it comes with great responsibility. Hundreds of collisions happen on UK roads each year, with a percentage of these being fatal. Road traffic accidents can happen for a number of reasons, including bad weather, excessive speeding or due to a lack of concentration shown by drivers.
A large portion of accidents caused on Britain’s roads are due to drivers being distracted behind the wheel, whether this is due to the use of handheld devices or loud music. You may not think it at the time, but these distractions can cause severe consequences, potentially resulting in you losing your licence or causing injury to you and other road users.
How focused are you behind the wheel?
We become more confident the more we drive; which isn’t always a good thing. Sometimes confidence means a number of drivers become relaxed behind the wheel and decide to pay less attention to the road ahead; whether this is by glancing at a mobile phone or singing along to loud music.
In order to gain an understanding as to how focused you are behind the wheel and how easy it is to become distracted, Kwik Fit want to put you to the ultimate driving test. They have created a Driven to Distraction quiz which will test and record how alert you are behind the wheel, whilst answering a number of multiple choice questions on a mobile phone.
What can cause distractions whilst driving?
Whether you’re a driver or not, we’re all fully aware of the rules and potential consequences surrounding the use of mobile phones whilst driving. If your mobile is in sight whilst driving, it’s easy to allow it to distract you, even if it’s just to glance at a message. No matter how short of a time you spend with your eyes off the road whilst driving, is time you could spend focusing on the road ahead.
It may not cross your mind but loud music can be a big distraction to drivers. Not only does loud music act as a distraction from other vehicles and pedestrians around you, it also limits what you can hear. Drivers often have to pull over to allow emergency services to pass and often they can appear behind you very quickly. With music playing at a high volume, you’ll be unable to hear other vehicles around you, potentially causing issues for emergency services who need attend an incident.
Giving your full concentration to the road ahead whilst driving is extremely important. Not only is it reducing your risks of a collision or a potential brush with the law, it’s also keeping other road users safe as well.
Share your results from the Kwik Fit quiz on social, using #DrivenToDistraction.
