With the increase of the demand for smartphones and feature phones carrying the latest technology and apps, there has also been a rise in the number of car accidents. The latest public opinion poll surveyed by Harris Interactive for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company has recently revealed that almost four out of ten American drivers, accounting to 38 percentage, have asserted that they have been hit or just missed drivers operating their handsets.
The telephonic survey conducted in June on 1,004 adults affirms that many Americans get distracted by using their smartphones to call or text while driving. A previous DWD (driving while distracted) survey stated that from millions of Americans more than one out of the four had admitted the use of the app while hitting the road. The survey was also conducted by Harris Interactive for Nationwide in April, 2010.
“As car makers continue to provide in-car technologies – including video, TV and Internet – a good percentage of Americans are going to misuse these devices,” said Bill Windsor, Nationwide’s associate vice president for Consumer Safety. “Americans can’t seem to resist the temptation of using new technology while they’re driving. Whether it is the latest smart phone or new in-car technology, many drivers seem more concerned about these toys than focusing on the road.”
The Nationwide survey further reveals that drivers mainly use those mobile apps which enable them to access GPS, search the Internet, send and receive email, and post and read messages on Facebook and Twitter. According to Bill Windsor, most of the Facebook users access the social networking site from their phones while they are away from the PCs.
The study claims that technological distractions do not only pertain to mobile phones that include in-car gadgets. The latest survey deduces that around four drivers out of 10 have cars fitted with such devices. It represents that 17 percent of people have a DVD player or video monitor, 14 percent are equipped with music search, 13 percent cars are outfitted with a device that allows drivers to make calls, 13 percent carry a GPS-enabled device, and 2 percent are loaded with a device proffering internet access.
To notify, from users who have these devices, 82 percent drivers use the music search feature while driving, 85 percent utilize the DVD/video monitor, 91 percent make use of the GPS, and 68 percent drivers use devices that are integrated with the calling functionality.