Driving safely with mobile phones and other devices

Safe driving tips for mobile phones and other devices

Use these tips to stay safe on the road:

• If your phone has an app or function that prevents distraction while driving, think about using it.
• Consider putting your phone on silent and out of reach, or turn it off.
• Divert all calls to voicemail.
• Pull over safely and park to make or receive a call.
• Set up navigation and music before driving.
• Plan breaks in your trip for phone calls.
• Tell your family and friends not to call when you know you’ll be driving.
• If you are using your phone hands free, warn callers you are driving and may have to end the call.
• Don’t make calls in heavy traffic, poor road conditions or bad weather.
• Never look up phone numbers.
• Never read or send text messages.
• Don’t use Smartwatches or other similar devices.

Remember, taking your eyes off the road for two seconds or more doubles your crash risk.

A mobile phone can be important in an emergency. If you need to use your mobile phone to call for help, stop and park safely where you will not endanger yourself or other road users.

How mobile phones distract the driver

Driving is complex and challenging. A simple way to make driving safer is to reduce the number of non-driving and distracting activities you undertake while driving.

Using a mobile phone while driving distracts you in many ways:

• Physical distraction is caused by handling the phone while driving. For example, removing your hand from the steering wheel to dial a phone number, to answer or end a call.
• Visual distraction is caused by the amount of time you have your eyes off the road. Taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds when driving at 50 km/h, means you travel for 27 metres effectively blind.
• Cognitive distraction refers to lapses in attention and judgement. This happens when you have to perform two mental tasks at the same time. Having a conversation competes with the demands of driving - your attention is often changing from driving to the conversation. This results in unsafe driving and can increase the risk of a crash.

Why it's dangerous to use a mobile phone while driving

Research shows that using a mobile phone while driving can lead to dangerous driving situations.

Riskier decision making

Deciding when it is safe to turn in traffic is a complex task. Using a mobile phone while driving affects judgement and concentration and you may fail to choose a safe gap.

When deciding to turn across oncoming traffic, you also tend not to consider the environmental conditions such as when it’s raining or the roads are slippery. If you don’t make safe turns you could crash.

Slower reactions

You generally react slower when using a mobile phone, particularly when you’re deep in conversation. You may take longer to respond to traffic signals or completely miss them.

Slower and less controlled braking

During a mobile phone call your brake reaction time is slower, and you do it with more force and less control which results in shorter stopping distances available between yourself and the car in front.

Wandering out of your lane

You’re more likely to wander out of your lane when you’re using a mobile phone, even on a straight road with little traffic.

Not being alert to your surroundings

When using a mobile phone, you tend to spend less time checking your mirrors and what’s going on around you. This affects your ability to monitor and negotiate traffic safely.

Talking to a passenger is different to talking on a mobile

If a dangerous situation develops, your passenger might stop talking and let you concentrate on driving. On a mobile phone, the person you’re talking to isn’t aware of the danger and will keep talking, further distracting you when your full concentration is needed.

There is some evidence that drivers aged under 30 years have an increased crash risk resulting from interacting with a passenger.

The best approach is to always concentrate on driving rather than talking to passengers or on your mobile phone, especially if you are an inexperienced driver.

Text messaging

Text messaging while driving results in physical, visual and cognitive distraction.

Research shows that retrieving and sending text messages increases the amount of time a driver spends not looking at the road. Your eyes may be taken off the road for up to four times longer when text messaging compared to a driver who is not text messaging.

Text messaging while driving leads to: 

• incorrect lane changes
• wandering from your lane
• missing road signs and hazards like pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles.

The more you talk, the less you see

Even the best drivers have difficulty in processing two or more pieces of information at the same time, especially if the tasks are similar or they demand more attention than the driver can give at one time.

For example, it is more difficult to drive safely and have a simple conversation in a complex driving situation such as in peak hour, on unfamiliar roads, at night and in wet weather. It is less difficult to drive safely in light traffic while having a simple conversation on mobile phone or with a passenger.

It is also more difficult to drive safely and have a complex conversation in light traffic. This conversation needs more attention and takes your mind off the road. When your mind’s not on the road, someone can die.