As someone who does two different school runs every morning and afternoon I’m spending a lot of time in my car! Combined with running my own business it’s often tempting to try and multitask and answer queries or emails whilst on the go.

You would think as we all know it’s illegal to use your phone while driving that this wouldn’t be an issue today. However, the number of road accidents in which mobiles are a factor has increased by 24% in five years!

So how much should we be checking our screens and just how much difference does it make to your reaction times?

How are we honestly using our phones?

Kwik Fit have created a new campaign to test your driving reactions after conducting research into how we use our phones while we’re in the car.

The results are pretty shocking!

19% of the surveyed drivers said they sometimes take phone calls whilst driving.
17% admitted to reading a text from their phone.
12% said they actually write and send texts whilst on the road.
In London, 47% say they use their phone without a handsfree set.
8% drivers aged 18-24 say they have had a collision because they were distracted by their mobile phone.

Bearing in mind all of the misdemeanours above would result in a penalty such 6 points and a large fine. That’s without considering that you could have caused serious injury or death to someone nearby or even someone in your own car.

Test your reaction times with ‘DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION’

I decided to test my own reaction times, to see just how distracted I would be and how much longer it would take me to stop.

The results are really upsetting. As you can see below the difference of just 4 seconds slower reaction time means I would have taken 5.7 metres longer to stop! That’s terrible and way more than expected.

I don’t use my phone whilst driving but this has really made it clear to me how a small slip up can cause a major accident or injury.

Try the game for yourself and see what type of results you have. It’s very interesting to see how you would react.

How to keep safe on the road

It’s obvious to us all that we shouldn't be using our phones while driving but perhaps now we can see just why when you look at the stopping distances.

So how else can you keep safe while on the road?

Use a purpose bought SatNav not Google maps on your phone.
Check your route before you leave.
Go through any notifications or important emails/SMS before you set off.
Stop somewhere if you need to have lengthy discussions with your passengers.
Use your seatbelt! Make sure children are belted up without big Winter coats on.
Don’t drive at all when you’re tired or less alert.
Slow down. This is one of the easiest ways to stay safe and avoid unnecessary collisions.