Over 1 in 3 traffic collisions in Norfolk caused by distracted drivers

Recent road safety figures* show that 42% of all driver related traffic incidents in Norfolk are caused by some form of driver distraction and a loss of concentration at the wheel.

This is not surprising, given that more than half of Norfolk residents (57%) admitted that they had arrived somewhere by car but had no clear recollection of parts of the journey, in a recent road safety attitude survey**. This indicates that driving on autopilot is increasingly common, particularly during familiar routes such as driving back home.

To help influence drivers behaviour and enable more people to travel to their destinations safely; Norfolk County Council Public Health's Road Safety team have partnered with Drive iQ, Norfolk Police, Norfolk Fire and Rescue, East of England Ambulance Service and experts in behaviour change to launch a Stay Focused campaign offering businesses and drivers access to free online training and resources to improve focus whilst driving.

"In rural counties like Norfolk many of us spend a lot of time driving, just getting on with daily life. These figures suggest that collisions are likely to occur during routine journeys where distractions and tiredness can compromise a driver's focus," says Cllr Bill Borrett, Cabinet member for Public Health and Wellbeing. "The Stay Focused campaign highlights the issue of driving on autopilot and offers tips and guidance on how to keep your brain in gear and fully focused on the drive".

Our autopilot is not a good driver and with the evidence that switching our attention from one task to another is exhausting and doing so affects our performance, it has never been so important to remind businesses, drivers and passengers of the practical tips that can improve our focus and safety when we travel. The Stay Focused resources are available at www.norfolk.gov.uk/stayfocused and show you how you can train your brain to keep your mind alert when driving. It includes an interactive quiz developed by the Open University to test how focused you are when you drive and a Mind Coach podcast, offering valuable insights and techniques to train the brain for enhanced focus during driving.

Norfolk residents can also access a series of free online driver safety education modules thanks to our partner Drive iQ by visiting their Smarter Driving programme.

Richard Hill, CEO of Drive iQ, stated, "At Drive iQ, we are dedicated to improving road safety through education. Our collaboration with Norfolk County Council on the 'Stay Focused' campaign highlights our commitment to encouraging attentive driving and making our roads safer for everyone."

Physical and thought-related distractions can impact our ability to lose focus and drive safely for the whole journey. Norfolk residents self-reported the top three reasons that most likely distracted them whilst driving were: not having sufficient sleep, other adult passengers and using a sat nav.

Prof Gemma Briggs, Head of Discipline and Professor of Applied Cognitive Psychology at Open University said: "Driving needs all of your attention, all of the time so you can reliably react when needed. Losing focus for just a few seconds can have devastating consequences, so it is your responsibility to control your attention: having both hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road isn't enough if your mind isn't also focused on driving".

Chief Inspector, Vicky McParland said: "Driving whilst distracted is as destructive as drink/drug driving. "The road situation in front of you can change within seconds and you will not be able to react quickly enough to prevent a collision. We all have a shared responsibility to keep everyone safe on Norfolk's roads. Making sure that you are not distracted forms part of this."

"We all know that driving is a complex task that demands our full attention," concludes Cllr Bill Borrett "By staying focused and vigilant when we drive and being considerate passengers , we can all play a role ensuring safer journeys for everyone." Visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/stayfocused

*Road Safety stats Norfolk 2014-2024

**Making Norfolk Roads Safer Survey conducted in March 2023 amongst 600 Norfolk residents stated the following:

• 1 in 4 drivers will start their journey with good focus but will start to lose their concentration towards the end of the journey.
• 22% of drivers claim they have missed a turning on a familiar journey in the last year.
• 30% of drivers admit to becoming distracted whilst at the wheel.
• The top 5 causes of distraction were:
  1. Other passengers
  2. Using satnav
  3. Fatigue
  4. Radio
  5. Other road user