A new observational study by the Vias traffic institute has revealed that Belgian van drivers are most often distracted by their mobile phones or other devices. On average, they are not entirely focused on traffic for 8% of the time, it turns out.
The Vias researchers observed almost 20,000 drivers for a month at 161 locations across Belgium. In total, 3.7 percent of drivers were distracted.
Looking away from traffic
However, for truck drivers, the rate rose to 7 percent, and for van drivers, it even increased to 8 percent. That amounts to about 3,200 kilometers per year that a van driver travels while looking away from traffic. Cell phone use while driving remains a persistent problem, despite the ban that was introduced exactly 25 years ago.
In Belgium, approximately 50 people are killed and 4,500 injured each year due to distraction in traffic. The risk of an accident is twice as high for those who are on the phone while driving and even twelve times higher for those who are texting.
Vias hopes that the use of smart cameras can reduce the use of mobile phones by drivers. These (mobile) cameras can be placed on highway bridges, for example, and can be moved regularly. This increases the likelihood of catching people in places where mobile phone use is most prevalent.
Young, male drivers
According to the Highway Code, a mobile phone may only be used in a holder; however, drivers must always maintain control of their vehicle. Violations can result in fines of up to 174 euros or even the temporary suspension of the driver’s license for up to 15 days.
If we were to draw a profile of the average ‘absent-minded’ driver, these would be the main characteristics: most of them are male drivers (1.8% of men had their mobile phone in their hand at the time of the observation, compared to 1.2% of women), between 18 and 24 years old (4.6% held a mobile phone in their hand compared to 1.6% aged 25-64 years). Most of them are alone in the vehicle and driving on the highway.
