The UK Department for Transport has launched a new advertising campaign that warns drivers not to text when behind the wheel. It says 12% of all motorists – rising to 30% of young drivers – have admitted to texting when driving. A new radio ad launches on Monday, along with an online driving challenge game.
Earlier this week the Today show, NBC's morning TV news programme in the USA, had a feature about a bus driver who crashed while sending text messages. It's a timely and cautionary reminder for the Bank Holiday weekend. A survey last year by the RAC Foundation found that reaction times were 35% slower for people who texted when driving. At 60mph, a car covers over 50 metres in two seconds - that's a lot of distance for a short distraction.
[DfT press release]