Groups of interest:
*
Safe drivers
Whilst drivers who don’t use their phones whilst
driving might not seem the most obvious or
logical focus for your attention, they can still be
used as part of your efforts to target and influence
those that do.
Observation data¹, and self-report studies², do both
suggest that, whilst mobile use is undeniably an issue
(and may be worse than we recognise³) the majority
of drivers nonetheless do not use a handheld mobile
phone whilst driving, and there are significant levels of
concern amongst the general driving public about the
use of mobiles by other drivers.
With declining resources, we should not overlook
the role that the majority can play in influencing the
behaviour of the minority who pose a safety problem.
This section will highlight the ways in which individuals
who do not use a mobile phone while driving may
actually (directly or indirectly) become ambassadors for
change in the behaviour of other road users.
*We use this term here to indicate drivers who resist
distraction whilst driving, but of course appreciate that
‘safe’ driving is a complex and subjective term.
¹ DfT (2015). Seat belt and mobile phone use surveys: England and Scotland, 2014. Statistical release. Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.
uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/406723/seatbelt-and-mobile-use-surveys-2014.pdf
² RAC (2018). RAC Report on Motoring 2018. Available from: https://www.rac.co.uk/pdfs/report-on-motoring/rac10483_rom-2018_content_web
³ Ige, J., Banstola, A., and Pilkington, P. (2016). Mobile phone use while driving: Underestimation of a global threat. Journal of Transport & Health, 3(1), pp 4-8.
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