40 per cent of motorists fail to concentrate on driving

A mere 60 per cent of drivers keep their mind on the task of driving, a survey has revealed.

It seems many of us have our mind on other things when behind the wheel. A survey by the Institute of Advanced Motorists and Vision Critical revealed a whopping 40 per cent of 1,447 drivers admitted to not concentrating on driving.

The survey found those aged over 65 were less likely to forget the task at hand, with 73 per cent saying they concentrated on the road at all times and 26 per cent admitting they concentrated ‘most of the time’.

Half of those aged 18 to 24 let their minds wander elsewhere when driving, compared with 47 per cent of 24 to 34-year-olds.

Daydreaming was the number one reason for not thinking about the task of driving, accounting for 24 per cent of votes. The figure for 18 to 24-year-olds was found to be slightly higher at 30 per cent.

Stress (22 per cent), thinking about what you will do when you reach your destination (21 per cent) and thinking about ‘family, friends and personal relationships’ were cited as other reasons for not concentrating.

The survey looked at the data from a regional perspective. It found Londoners were the worst offenders at not concentrating (47 per cent), closely followed by Yorkshire and Humberside (46 per cent), the South West (46 per cent) and Scotland (46 per cent). Wales and the North East came out bottom of the table with a score of 34 per cent.

“Signs of not concentrating such as missed turnings or uncancelled indicator lights are commonplace,” Institute of Advanced Motorists chief executive Simon Best explained. “Simply not concentrating is a key cause of crashes yet it is not borne out in statistics because drivers rarely admit to it in police reports or on insurance forms.”

“These results reconfirm stereotypes surrounding younger drivers and the ease with which they can be distracted away from staying safe.  The key is to build up as wide a range of experiences as possible as you learn and to look upon your driving as a skill that needs continuous improvement,” he added.