Domino drivers – nearly a million motorists have had a prang as a result of ‘rubbernecking’.
A new study by leading insurer Direct Line reveals that nearly one million drivers* admit to having had an accident because they were ‘rubbernecking’, a term coined for drivers slowing down to gawp at an accident.
In total, nearly 20 million drivers (58 per cent of all motorists) admit to being distracted from the wheel by staring at an accident on the roads.
In a separate Direct Line study**, commissioned with TRL (Transport Research Laboratory), rubbernecking is ranked as one of the most distracting external factors for motorists. Overall, drivers consider distractions outside the car, such as pile-ups and road traffic accidents, as a far more prevalent source of distraction from driving than internal factors, such as glancing down to tune a radio.
Maggie Game, Head of Direct Line Car Insurance comments: “Our research shows that rubbernecking can increase the number of accidents on the road. Our advice to motorists is to keep their attention on the road ahead, no matter how tempting it is to look at a nearby accident. Of course, this is especially important when driving on the motorway, where speeds are typically faster.”
The research shows that it is male drivers who are more likely to have had a ‘close shave’ as a result of rubbernecking, with 5.3 million male drivers (16 per cent) admitting it has happened to them, as opposed to seven per cent of female drivers.
For further details on Direct Line motor insurance visit the car insurance section of our website.
For further information please contact:
Matt Owen
Direct Line
Direct: 020 8285 8795
Mobile: 07739 308 808
Email: Matthew.j.Owen@rbs.co.uk
Notes to editors
*Opinium Research carried out an online poll of 2,142 British adults between 26th and 30th of September 2008. Results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria.
58% of motorists have been distracted while driving by a road accident. 58% of 33.4million motorists in Great Britain (Department for Transport) is 19,372,000.
5% motorists who have been distracted by an accident have been in an accident as a result of being distracted by rubbernecking. 5% of 19,372,000 is 968,600 motorists.
**Drivers’ attitudes to distraction and other motorists’ behaviour: A focus group and observational study’ was produced by TRL Limited for RBS Insurance.
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