In reply to:


I'm obviously being facetious, but realistically can anyone find statistics on What distracts drivers (causing accidents)?



Well, from a ongoing debate on the merits of banning cellphone use in cars the government agency in New Zealand responsible had this to say about accidents caused by distractions:

About 15 of the 425 road deaths last year were found to be due to distractions in the vehicle, e.g. reaching for something while driving, fiddling with the car stereo, trying to get rid of a insect pest (e.g. Bee/Wasp) in the car while driving etc.

And only about 5 deaths a year were attributable to cellphone use while driving.

Now those figures only tell half the story as everyone who has ever driven behind someone talking on a cellphone you'd know that their level of driving skills goes down dramatically while doing so.

And studies have confirmed that talking and driving just don't mix well - and thats whether on a cellphone or not [seems the brain can't drive a car and make the brain work well at the same time].

Of course with a non-handsfree cellphone there is also the added problem of not having two hands on the wheel at all times [like we're supposed to all do right?] and probably more than one accident (but not necessarily death) has been caused by someone dropping their phone and then scrambling to pick it up and crahsing into something while doing so.

the big issue with cellphones is that if you make handsfree compulsary, does it actually make it safer to use a cellphone while driving?

Not sure on that one, whereas if you see someone with a cellphone on their ear, you know to keep well back and to expect dangerous/inconsiderate driving if you're behind them, or see them coming the other way.
With a hands free solution, none of this would be visible.

Maybe we need a flashing light on the roof of every cellphone carrying car, which flashes whenever the driver is using a cellphone (handsfree or not), thus warning all drivers that this driver is a potential hazard.