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Road safety news: 24.08.09

'BlackBerry addicts' email at the wheel

According to Autoglass, motorists are trying to avoid fines by turning to their BlackBerrys and emailing instead of using their mobile phones.

New research from Autoglass has found that 20% of UK motorists regularly read emails and use their BlackBerry while driving. These drivers confess to taking their eyes off the road for five seconds at a time – long enough for a car travelling at 60mph to cover 135 metres or 34 car lengths. 

The research found that younger drivers are the worst offenders, with 37% of under-18s admitting to ‘crashberry’ behaviour, compared to just 7% of 46-50 year olds and 6% of those aged 51-55 years. 

Nigel Doggett, managing director of Autoglass, says: “Once a motorist takes their eyes off the road they not only run the risk of causing potentially fatal collisions with other road users.”

Click here
to read the full Autoglass news release.

 


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