Road safety : a video-shock to discourage texting and driving

s2uphoto/epictura

Published the 22.07.2017 at 15h09

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Staring at his phone, he has not seen the post that stood in its path. A bandwidth hits a bus shelter while another falls head-first into a staircase. These scenes could be broadcast on a Saturday night during a broadcast of bêtisiers. Yet they are the preamble to a video of prevention of road safety in south africa.

“You do not even write a text message while walking, so why do you while driving ? “. The message is simple and well reasoned. Viewed over half a million times, this shock campaign is all the public.

Because the studies carried out in France, as elsewhere, the show people, young and older use their phone at the wheel. According to a survey conducted by the Association of the French Companies of Motorways (ASFA) with 2 000 people, nearly 60 % of drivers phoning at the wheel. And more than a third of respondents report they immediately read the e-mails, text messages or notifications received. Some 20 % admit to respond to it while they drive. A dangerous behavior that affects more than 40 % of 25-35 year-olds.

400 fatal accidents per year

A 130 km/h, 5 seconds spent on the phone, representing nearly 170 meters without looking down the road. Reaction time lengthened by half, distraction, passenger junk multiplies by 3 the risk of an accident.
In 2015, on the French roads, passenger reaction has been responsible for 17 % of fatal crashes, compared to 4% five years previously, or a proportion multiplied by 4. This corresponds to about 400 fatal accidents per year.

While this is a call of the grandmother, a mail address of its head or a SMS of her daughter, “this can wait,” recalls the south african authorities. A message to spread while departures for the holidays intensifies.