500k Used Phones While Driving In 2014, Study Says

New research commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT) has revealed that more than half a million drivers used their mobile phones while at the wheel in 2014 - an increase of nearly 50 per cent since 2008.

The study - which was carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory on behalf of the DfT - surveyed tens of thousands of UK drivers, seeking to offer a more detailed insight into who uses their phones while driving and why they do it. It's hoped that the report's findings will allow policymakers to devise more appropriate legislation over the coming years.
According to the report, 1.1 per cent of drivers in England and Scotland were observed holding a mobile handset while driving last year. An additional 0.5 per cent were spotted with a phone to their ear while at the wheel - equating to a total of over 470,000 drivers.

"The results are very disappointing but not at all surprising," said Neil Greig, director of policy and research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists. "Campaigners routinely talk about the inherent dangers of the distraction caused by mobile phone usage, but drivers never believe they will be caught."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the study - published this week - found that many motorists are so glued to their social media accounts that they even use them while they're behind the wheel. The DfT says that two-thirds of those seen using their mobile phones while driving were doing so either to send a text message or to access social media websites.

This is also indicated by the fact that younger drivers are four times more likely than their older counterparts to use a mobile phone while driving; the study found that 5.2 per cent of those aged between 17 and 29 had used their mobiles while on the road.

Van drivers were also more likely to use their mobiles while driving - 2.7 per cent of them in England and Scotland were reported to have done so last year.

Neil Greig noted that there may well be a technological fix to the problem. While warning that hands-free phones were no less of a distraction than hand-held devices, he observed that some phones have sensors which, upon detecting the motion of a vehicle, automatically shut off calling and texting function - adding that he'd like to see this introduced universally in the not-too-distant future.

So while this particular scourge is likely to be with us for some time to come, it could be that an effective solution is just around the corner.