1. Safety »
  2. Distractions

Distraction occurs when a driver's attention is diverted away from concentrating on driving. Driving needs your full attention to keep control of your vehicle, remember to maintain awareness of your surroundings and potential hazards. Anything that diverts the drivers attention for more than two seconds can significantly impact safety.

What can you do to reduce the risk?

  • Focus on the task in hand - driving
  • Be aware of your surroundings and potential hazards
  • Adjust all driver controls (seat, mirrors, radio) before you start driving
  • Put your mobile phone onto silent or Do Not Disturb mode before you start driving. It is illegal to take calls or text messages on hand held phones while driving
  • If you plan to use GPS/mobile device for navigation, set it up before starting the journey
  • Have a clean windscreen
  • Take regular breaks
  • Ask passengers to be quiet if you're having difficulty concentrating
  • Pull over if you need to attend to children

Where to go for more information: