| By :
Jackie De Burca
A UK commercial fleet insurance company has warned that statistics show that those who use mobile phones when driving are four times more likely to be involved in a collision. A spokesperson from the British 'No Excuse' campaign confirmed these statistics and stated that all phone calls and text messages distract from driving. The campaign is called the 'No Excuse' campaign as drivers with bad habits such as using mobile phones or not wearing a seat belt offer up excuses when stopped. They try to talk their way out of the situation with elaborate excuses, as if the police would be convinced! The 'No Excuse' campaign which is running in Dorset, UK, revealed that about one-third of those stopped were either using a mobile phone or were not wearing a seat belt. One classic incident from the campaign was a woman in a silver Vauxhall who was stopped and she told the policeman that she had left her BlackBerry at home so whoever had seen her typing must have been mistaken. In turn the policeman located her BlackBerry which was connected to Facebook, fined her £60 and told her "I'm sure your Mum told you never to lie to a policeman." Distracted driving is on the increase as motorists see their cars as natural extensions of their home and workplaces. Robert Smith, the road safety manager for Dorset County Council said it used to be "Mirror, signal, manoeuvre" when learning to drive but now it is "Mirror, signal, makeup." Over the water in the States, in 2008 at any given moment, 800,000 American as were making calls or texting using a handheld mobile phone. In the same year nearly 6,000 Americans were killed by distracted driving. For a younger person, talking on a mobile phone while driving can make their reaction time as slow as that of a 70 year old person. Given that 56% of teenagers admit to talking on mobiles while driving and another 13% admit to texting while driving this does not make for a safe situation. Talking on mobile phones is the cause of almost 25% of car accidents, while 4 out of every 5 accidents are attributed to distracted drivers. Drunk driving causes 1 out of 3 accidents. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Motorists, USA, conducted a study which found that motorists who use mobile phones while driving are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough cause an injury. The message from this concerned commercial fleet insurance company is Dial Before You Drive Not While You Drive.
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