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Daybreak launches Phone Free Zone campaign to encourage nation not to use their mobile phones while driving

Published: Mon 04 Feb 2013

 

Daybreak launches Phone Free Zone campaign to encourage nation not to use their mobile phones while driving  
 
 - More than 1 in 3 motorists have used their phone while driving.
 - Worst offending area is East Midlands.
 
 
More than 1 in 3 (39.5%) motorists have used their mobile phones while driving, a survey commissioned for Daybreak has found.
 
OnePoll surveyed 2000 motorists from around the UK to discover whether drivers were still using their phones while driving despite it being dangerous.
 
The survey was commissioned to coincide with the launch of a campaign on Daybreak called Phone Free Zone, encouraging motorists not to use their phones completely while driving. At least 128 people have lost their lives since 2006 in road traffic accidents where mobiles phones have been a contributing factor.* As well as not using a handheld phone when driving, Daybreak viewers can pledge their support by picking up one of 50,000 Phone Free Zone window stickers from participating Shell garages.
 
The survey results also revealed one in ten drivers (11.6% )had used their phone while driving with children in the car and the three worst offending areas for drivers using mobiles were the East Midlands (49.15%) Northern Ireland (47.83%) and West Midlands (47.87%).
 
Just under 5% (4.45%) of drivers surveyed admitted to having had an accident whilst using their phone and driving. One in four drivers (22.70%) said they had been distracted from driving safely by their mobile phone and 19.65% had written a message on their phone such as a text, email or used Facebook or Twitter while driving.  Around a quarter (25.35%) of drivers said they would always use a hands free kit when driving but 15.5% of drivers said they had taken their hands off the steering wheel to use their phone while driving.
 
Nearly three quarters of all drivers polled (74.6% ) said they thought the roads would be safer if all motorists switched off their phone before driving.
 
Notes to Editors:
 
* (Statistics taken from the Department of Transport 2006 to 2011)
The survey was commissioned by Daybreak and carried out by OnePoll on 2000 drivers over the age of 18 from all around the UK.