According to the current Allianz Distraction Study, the risk of accidents is increased by approximately 50% through the use of modern communication, entertainment and comfort technologies.
A new study shows that the proportion of drivers who pick up a smartphone and write or read text messages while driving has risen from 15% to 24% between 2016 and 2022. Those who text while driving have more than 50 percent higher risk of an accident.
In addition, LCD screens are increasingly replacing buttons, switches, rotary knobs and sliders in vehicle control. In the Allianz survey, about half of those surveyed confirmed that they were distracted from the road while working with the on-board computer. This increases the risk of accidents by 44%.
Young drivers under the age of 24 are particularly at risk of being distracted: 30% say they use their smartphone to make calls while driving (all drivers: 16%). Four in ten say they type or read email with their mobile phone in hand, an increase of 2.5 times between 2016 and 2022.
According to the German Federal Statistical Office, 8,233 people were injured and 117 died in distraction-related accidents in 2021, accounting for almost 5% of all fatalities. However, the number of unreported cases is probably much higher.
The study involved 1200 people.
• “Driving” can be seen on YouTube.
Source: Springer Fachmedien
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