Moving Forward
Distracted driving:
the true menace on South Africa’s roads
We might feel powerless when faced with some of the dangers of South Africa’s roads, but there is something we can all
do to protect ourselves and make the roads a little safer: We can make sure we’re not distracted while driving.
A
recent study by market and
opinion firm, Ipsos OTX1,
indicates that 40 percent
of South Africa’s drivers
text while driving. “Texting while operating a vehicle is the most dangerous
activity, but distracted driving means
more than just texting. It’s any activity that takes a person’s attention
away from the main task of driving,”
says Les Mc Master, chairman of the
Motor Industry Workshop Association
(MIWA).
There are three types of
distractions, namely visual, which
is when the driver takes their eyes
off the road; manual, a task that
requires the driver to take their
hands off the steering wheel; and
cognitive, when the driver’s mind is
not focused on the task at hand.”
These activities could include eating
with their eyes on the phone instead of
and drinking, grooming, adjusting the
on the road. “When you’re driving, you
radio or talking to passengers, to name
have to think about a lot of things: your
just a few. “However, texting is the riski-
speed, the traffic laws, the direction
est activity because it is a visual, manu-
you’re going in, road conditions, pedes-
al and cognitive diversion, which means
trians, other cars around you.
no attention is being paid to the road,”
he says. According to the National
Roads and Motorists Association, drivers who regularly send text messages
spend up to 400 percent more time
It’s a long list, and if you’re not focussed
on the task at hand, there is a greater
chance that you’ll be involved in an
accident.”
However, for ma