Conversation killer: half of drivers admit small talk is becoming a big distraction

Almost half of drivers admit that holding a conversation behind the wheel has caused them to make a mistake, with internal distractions such as this having contributed towards as many as 940 road casualties in 2023.

In a survey conducted by the RAC, 63 per cent of drivers said that internal and external distractions have caused them to make an error whilst driving, with just under half (43 per cent) stating that even chatting to a passenger has led to a mistake.

It’s no surprise, then, that in-car distractions are listed as a contributory factor in five per cent of collisions. They also led to 940 road casualties (six per cent of the total) in 2023, including 81 deaths.

With this in mind, you might be shocked to hear that only 18 per cent of drivers see holding a conversation as a potential distraction behind the wheel. While 48 per cent of respondents pointed to mobile phone usage as a potential distraction, this is only cited as an influential element for two per cent of cases and casualties.

Nevertheless, all distractions, whether they be talking to a passenger or over the phone, can be incredibly dangerous. The RAC’s safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, was keen to remind drivers that while “the practice of driving is second nature for many of us, our research suggests things we do without thinking in the car have far more potential to cause us to make errors than we might realise.

“Driving is still a very mentally demanding task,” he said, “especially because we need to be able to react to what’s in front in a split-second, so it’s important we do everything we can to stay alert and minimise distractions.”

All of this follows Auto Express’s recent investigation into the potentially distracting nature of in-car touchscreens. While only around a third (30 per cent) of the RAC’s respondents think adjusting a car’s controls could be an issue, this is something that safety experts Euro NCAP believe is a prevalent issue. 

Beginning next year, NCAP tests will begin to award extra points to manufacturers that provide physical controls for frequently used functions, with touchscreen-focused cockpits likely to suffer lower safety scores.

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