26 March 2007

Look, No Hands Free! | Cheap Car Insurance and Home Insurance from Confused.com

One month on from the introduction of stronger penalties for drivers caught using a hand-held mobile phone, research conducted by the UK's leading insurance search engine Confused.com reveals a dangerous trend for texting behind the wheel. Even though 98% of respondents agree that such drivers should be penalised, over half have seen another motorist texting while driving and a staggering 30% confess to doing it themselves.

The findings come just weeks after sales executive Michael Smith was jailed for two years for crashing into another car and killing a motorist moments after sending a text message. Drivers taking their eyes off the road to respond to texts, even for a fraction of a second, place themselves and other drivers at severe risk. At just 30mph a driver looking down for one second would travel 13 metres, enough distance to cause serious injury to a pedestrian, while at 70mph a driver would travel 31 metres which is more than enough distance to cause a severe road accident.

Commenting on the findings, Debra Williams, Managing Director of Confused.com said. 'The findings of this survey are shocking but, as every driver knows, it's often hard to ignore incoming messages and calls. Appallingly, instead of pulling over, it seems that motorists are not merely answering calls but are also responding to text messages, and taking their eyes off the road in the process. While it might only feel like a few seconds, that's more than enough time to cause a major and possible multiple vehicle accident. The message is simple - avoid using mobiles unless you have a hands free kit, never read texts on the move and at all times ensure you are in full control of your vehicle.'

Despite the implications of calls in cars or texting, 90% of people admit to recently seeing a driver using a mobile phone without hands free and surprisingly just 26% would actually report someone to the authorities for breaking the law. It seems that the threat of tougher fines has taken a backseat to motorists' love of telecommunications.

Notes to editors

• 2087 respondents were surveyed by Confused.com between February and March 2007
• Confused.com searches 97% of all online motor insurers
• People save on average £150 when searching for car insurance on Confused.com
• Confused.com provides a real-time service for both home and car insurance, bringing back results in under two minutes
• Case study of a parent who has been involved in a 'near miss' whilst being distracted by her child whilst driving is available.

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