The smartphone and other mobile devices have fully entered our lives and are now part of our daily lives. The dependence we have on these devices is so high that even the new Traffic Law that came into force in March 2022 toughens the penalty for manipulating the mobile phone while driving, considering that this distraction is one of the causes of the increase in accidents in road.
The regulatory change has not been able to completely eradicate this bad habit and, according to a study carried out by Ipsos and published by the VINCI Autoroutes Foundation, drivers under 35 years of age still do not get rid of mobile devices behind the wheel. One in four young drivers watches videos or movies while driving, according to the results of the XIII barometer of responsible driving.
The study, in which 12,400 people from 11 European countries have participated, highlights the dependence that young people have on mobile phones while driving. 76% of European drivers use their smartphones or program GPS while driving, and two out of three make phone calls behind the wheel. 42% of them do it regularly, which represents an increase of 5 points compared to 2018.
However, there is one practice that stands out above all the others as it is a behavior that involves taking your eyes off the road. It consists of watching movies or videos behind the wheel, which 23% of drivers under 35 admit to doing. Seven out of ten drivers of this age group (76% of Spaniards) consider that it is a dangerous action.
In fact, 51% of Europeans (54% of Spaniards) point to distractions as the main cause of fatal accidents on the roads in general, ahead of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or excessive speed. However, 81% of drivers admit that they sometimes take their eyes off the road for more than two seconds, which is equivalent to driving at least 72 meters blindly at 130 km/h, the report indicates.
Driving and talking on the mobile or programming the GPS at the same time is not an exclusive habit of young drivers, but rather affects motorists of all age groups. 77% of Europeans do. 66% declare that they make phone calls while driving and it affects all age groups: 77% of those under 35 years of age and 55% of those over 55 years of age.
The study indicates that 56% of drivers under the age of 35 who make calls while driving do so with a Bluetooth system, which is 11 points more than in 2018. Of these, 71% do not consider it dangerous when in fact they have so much impact on attention like the other modes of conversation. 33% of young drivers hold telephone conversations with headphones or headphones and 25% holding their smartphones in their hands. Both behaviors are expressly prohibited and entail the deduction of points from the card.
Jocelyn Lachance, a university professor of sociology, concludes that it is difficult for young people to separate themselves from their “digital travel companion” while driving, since the risk of not being connected is worse for them than that of losing concentration. Thus, for example, another risky behavior that drivers under 35 often practice, according to the Barometer, consists of sending or reading text messages or emails. 43% of young people do it (44% of young people between the ages of 16 and 24), despite the fact that 77% of them consider it dangerous.
Additionally, 22% of active drivers participate in work conference calls while driving. Of these, 40% do not consider it dangerous, while 44% have had or were about to have an accident for using the phone while driving.
Eradicating the scourge of alcohol and drugs behind the wheel is a task that traffic authorities have been struggling with for many years. The increase in controls, especially at specific times, has not managed to dissuade drivers from these bad habits. Nor among the new generations of motorists, according to the data of the study carried out by Ipsos.
Thus, 7% of European drivers - and even 17% of men under the age of 35 - admit to driving while intoxicated. 11% of drivers state that they have had or were about to have an accident due to excessive alcohol consumption. This figure rises to 25% of men under 35 years of age and in the case of Spaniards to 37%.
Likewise, 10% -and 22% of men under 35 years of age- drive having consumed medications that can alter their state of alertness and 5% -and 17% of men under 35 years of age- drive having smoked cannabis or used drugs.
