Drive safe and phone safe or end up dialling 'the other side'

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 29 March 2010 13:22

Your IT - Mobility

Telstra has put out a timely pre-Easter warning to drive safely and absolutely abstain from illegally or dangerously using your mobile phone while driving, with phone related incidents on the increase and the dangers of losing your life or ending someone else's more serious than ever.

If you're one of those people that uses the phone while driving, be it to dial numbers, text message people, fiddling with GPS settings or staring too long at your phone's screen, Telstra's timely pre-Easter warning has been made just for you.

Naturally, if you're a non L or P plate driver, with your phone in a cradle and a hands-free or Bluetooth device in place, you're already much safer than many drivers who think nothing of fiddling with their phones while driving the equivalent of a moving missile.

But you still need to take real care on the roads, with Telstra's 'Drive Safe, Phone Safe' survey uncovering that nearly 10% of 'motorists have been in an accident or nearly involved in one by using a mobile phone while driving, despite the majority (93%) knowing this behaviour was illegal'.

The survey research was conducted online by Pure Profile on behalf of Telstra in January, 2010 on a representative sample of 1,014 Australians from across Australia in both metropolitan and regional areas.

Renae Smith, the Executive Director of Telstra's Consumer Division said the research 'provided a timely alarm given the number of families and motorists expected on roads this Easter long weekend', and added that 'Of concern, our research indicates that only half of motorists believe using mobile phones while driving can cause serious accidents, showing why many people continue such risky behaviour behind the wheel.

'On top of this, with email-enabled smartphones and mobile devices with in-built GPS navigators on the rise, it's more important than ever for motorists to familiarise themselves with the relevant state laws and ensure they are not breaking any laws,' Ms Smith said.

Ms Smith said added that 'motorists should remember that any distraction while driving can have an adverse affect on their ability to anticipate the road ahead', and continued by saying that 'Looking at a phone while driving takes motorists' eyes off the road and can cause accidents.

'For the sake of your family and other motorists, if you need to make a phone call while driving, pull over to the side of the road safely or if you need to answer a call then let it divert to MessageBank', or your equivalent voicemail service should you not be a Telstra customer.

What else did Telstra's research reveal? Please read on to page two'¦