In 1951, Mercedes-Benz applied for a patent for the world’s first safety body with a stiff passenger safety cell and defined crumple zones. The design went into production in 1959.

In the United States, a long commute between home and office every day is the norm. Not surprisingly, many drivers use that time on the road to get things done like eating breakfast, applying make-up, reading or listening to an audio book, besides talking on their phones.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sponsored a study in 2007 that provided data on the consequences of driving while being distracted. NHTSA, along with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, installed cameras and sensors in 100 cars for a year to observe participants’ behaviour in a natural setting.

Pitfalls of multitasking

Researchers discovered that 80 per cent of crashes involved driver distraction and that inattentive drivers were two to three times more likely to be involved in accidents when they were engaged in tasks such as applying make-up, using a phone or reading.

Here are other key findings of the study:

• The most common distraction for drivers is the use of mobile phones. The number of crashes and near-crashes attributable to dialling is nearly identical to the number associated with talking or listening.



• Reaching for a moving object increases the risk of a crash or near-crash by nine times; reading by three times; applying make-up by three times; dialling a hand-held device (typically a phone) by almost three times; and talking or listening on a hand-held device by 1.3 times.

The conclusion was that more complex tasks that required multiple eye glances or many button presses contributed to 25 per cent of the crashes and near-crashes in the pool of respondents.

Another study done on the use of phones while driving helps explain the finding. When the brain has to tackle two tasks at once, priority is given to the more deeply-ingrained skill. Since we learn to talk before we learn to drive, brain power is diverted to the conversation instead of the road, causing us to miss visual cues and to experience impaired peripheral vision and coordination.

In Singapore

It is not an offence to answer a call using a hands-free kit or a speakerphone while in a car, but it will be an offence if three things are going on at the same time: the vehicle is in motion; the driver is holding the phone with one hand while driving; and the driver is communicating using that phone while driving. Communicating includes making a call or sending a text message.

There is no specific ban against eating or smoking while driving. However, the Traffic Police can still take action against drivers who fail to maintain proper control of the vehicle while doing any of the above.

Don’t be distracted

Keep the roads safer for every one, including yourself, by not being the cause of the problem. Put a stop to potentially dangerous behaviour by observing these guidelines:

• Keep the newspaper or other distracting materials out of sight.



• Do your personal grooming at home.



• Consult the map before you drive off.



• Postpone complex or emotional conversations on the phone or with passengers until you arrive at your destination.