Kids are more distracting than mobile phones while driving
Being distracted as a driver can have tragic consequences, so minimising distractions is a must.I’ve lost count of how many times I have been distracted by my children in the backseat while I have been at the wheel. Whether it is responding to the 500th “Mum, look at this,” being yelled in my direction, or an instinctive reaction to crying, shrieking, tantrumming or sibling fighting occurring behind me.
Sometimes it’s even to pick up a dropped ‘critically important’ item (i.e., their lollipop) while stationary at the traffic lights. In fact, I would say every time my kids have been in the car, they have distracted me at least once.
Now I know I am far from alone in this situation but what I didn’t know was how dangerous it actually is.
Research by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) found that children are 12 times more distracting to a driver than talking on a mobile phone while at the wheel. 12 times!
In a first-of-its-kind study, the researchers found the average parent takes their eyes off the road for three minutes and 22 seconds during a 16-minute trip.
Associate Professor Judith Charlton and Dr Sjaan Koppel at MUARC used cars fitted with a discrete recording system which monitored the driving behaviour of 12 families over three weeks. The families had an average of two children, between 1-8 years of age.
The study analysed ninety-two trips for any potentially distracting activities undertaken by the driver. This included all activities that distracted the driver or competed for their attention while driving; including looking away from the forward roadway for more than two seconds while the vehicle was in motion.
The most frequent types of distractions included turning to look at the child in the rear seat or watching the rear-view mirror (76.4 per cent), engaging in conversation with the child (16 per cent), assisting the child (7 per cent) and playing with the child (1 per cent).
While there hasn’t been specific research into transport accidents caused by this factor, the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has found that simple errors including judgement errors played a role in about 70 per cent of Victorian road deaths since 2017.
“Last year, 128 (58 per cent) road deaths in Victoria involved a common basic error like taking a corner too wide or a concentration lapse, as opposed to high-risk behaviours such as speeding, drink-driving and drug-driving,” the TAC says.
This includes taking your eyes off the road.
What can you do to ensure your kids aren’t distracting you from driving safely?
Advice from Raising Children includes keeping your kids comfortable because when they are, they are less likely to distract the driver.
To do this:
- Cool the car as much as possible before you let your child get in
- Dress your child in cool, comfortable, loose-fitting clothing
- Check the temperature of car seats, harnesses and seat belts before your child gets into the car. Hot metal, plastic or leather can burn your child. If surfaces are hot, cover them with a damp cloth and then help your child into the car.
- Always carry extra water in case you get stuck in traffic or break down
And keep them engaged:
- Chat while you drive. Talking passes the time and distracts your child. Discuss what you’ll be doing when you arrive or point out sights through the window.
- Try car karaoke, play alphabet search, recite some nursery rhymes or play music or an audio story
- Provide plenty of safe distractions for your child, like soft, hand-held games or books
- Give your child some healthy snacks and drinks. This is safe if your child is in a forward-facing child car seat and you can see what your child is doing.
Related: Children and car safety: Everything you should know
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Related: Top tips for keeping kids safe around cars
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