Number of motorists texting and calling while driving doubles

The number of people texting or making phone calls while driving has doubled this year, despite tougher new penalties.

The Irish Independent reports that a new Road Safety Authority survey has found that one-in-12 drivers now text or make calls at the wheel.

That is up from one-in-25 in 2013, which means there are twice as many drivers now offending, compared with the previous 12 months.

Women were more likely than men to break that law.

The RSA has described the findings as "deeply worrying" with Brian Farrell saying motorists should turn off their phones.

Related Articles

Card image cap

Wheel kickers get tyre inflation advice

A third of UK motorists (32%) believe kicking a tyre is an adequate test of whether it is properly inflated, new research has revealed. More worrying still was the finding that almost one in four...

Posted 11 years ago

Card image cap

ITIA warns motorists on tyre replacement

As latest figures show more than half of motorists are failing their NCT tests, the Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA) has warned of motorists dicing with danger in our increasingly wet conditions...

Posted 10 years ago

Card image cap

Michelin warns fleets on cost of driving on under-inflated tyres

Michelin is warning businesses that the cost of driving on under-inflated tyres has risen over an 18-month period, in line with the cost of fuel. Tyre pressures have a direct impact on a vehicle’...

Posted 7 years ago


Tags

Road Safety, Mobile Phone