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Talking on a mobile phone while driving is more dangerous than being drunk behind the wheel, says insurer.

Tests carried out by scientists at the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) established that driving behaviour is impaired more by using a mobile phone, than by being over the legal alcohol limit. In the year 2000, more than 520 people lost their lives as a result of accidents involving drunk drivers.

The study, (carried out for motor insurers Direct Line) over three months by the TRL, involved testing the reaction times and driving performance of a panel of volunteers, using a sophisticated driving simulator.

Researchers tested how:

1: Driving impairment was affected by talking on a hand-held mobile phone
2: A hands-free phone
3: When drivers had consumed enough alcohol to be above the legal drink-drive limit.

The results demonstrate that drivers' reaction times were, on average, 30% slower when talking on a hand-held mobile phone, compared to being drunk, and nearly 50% slower than under normal driving conditions. According to the tests, drivers were less able to maintain a constant speed and found it more difficult to keep a safe distance from the car in front.

Using a hand-held mobile phone had the greatest impact on driving performance. On average it took hand-held mobile phone users half a second longer to react than normal, and a third of a second longer to react, compared to when they were drunk. At 70 mph, this half-second difference is equivalent to travelling an additional 46 feet (14m) before reacting to a hazard on the road.

Hands-Free

Using a hands-free mobile phone also proved to be a considerable distraction for drivers. In fact, participants in the study stated that they found it easier to drive drunk than when using a mobile phone (hand-held or hands-free).

In addition, drivers using either a hands-free or hand-held mobile phone significantly missed more road warning signs than when drunk.

Direct Line commissioned the TRL research following a recent survey it conducted that found that four out of ten drivers - equivalent to around 10 million UK motorists - admit to using a mobile phone behind the wheel.

Dominic Burch, Direct Line's road safety campaign manager, said: "Most people accept that talking on a mobile phone while driving is distracting, however, many drivers don't appreciate how dangerous it is. That is why we chose to quanitfy the risk involved by comparing driving performance while using a mobile phone to driving while over the legal alcohol limit. Drink driving is clearly an established danger in the eyes of drivers.

"We were surprised to discover that talking on a mobile phone is actually more dangerous than being drunk behind the wheel. In effect, this means that 10 million drivers are partaking in a driving activity that is potentially more dangerous than being drunk.”

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