Almost one in 10 drivers seen using their phone while driving, study finds

Eva Osborne

Nine per cent of drivers observed on Irish roads were using a mobile device while driving, according to a new qualitative study on driver mobile phone use in Ireland.

This figure was at six per cent when the same study was conducted in 2022.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) hosted its Annual International Road Safety Conference in Dublin Castle on Wednesday with the theme of 'Driver Distraction'.

The RSA has called for driver distraction to be "stigmatised, not normalised".

Attendees of the conference heard from forensic psychologist associate professor from the University of Galway, Dr Kiran Sarma, who outlined attitudes and addictive behaviour towards smartphone use.

Dr Sarma indicated that the ‘fear of missing out (FOMO)’ on messages, calls and notifications while driving is a significant motivation behind this behaviour.

He found that the use of phones while driving stems from planned behaviour and automatic behaviour.

Planned behaviour sees drivers deliberately using their phones with beliefs like: "I believe I can handle the car safely while using the phone", "I won't get caught", and that others use their phones all the time.

Automatic behaviour is linked to the fear of missing out and smartphone addiction.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, James Lawless, said: “It is clear from listening to the expert speakers today that there is no level of distraction, multitasking or mobile phone use while driving which should be considered safe or societally acceptable.

"None of us, regardless of our age or years of driving experience, have the right to pick up the phone while behind the wheel of a vehicle driving at any speed and on any road.

"We need to take an approach to tackling driver distraction that includes education, engineering and enforcement. These need to be underpinned by personal responsibility by all drivers. It is critical that we work together with key agencies such as An Garda Síochána to reduce distracted driving on our roads, and keep road users safe.”

Chair of the RSA, Liz O'Donnell, said: “The insights shared today by the speakers really drive home the importance of reducing distractions when driving. It’s unacceptable to put lives at risk for something as unimportant as reading a text or email.

We have a shared responsibility to stop and call out this dangerous behaviour which has become far too common on our roads We must as a society stigmatise mobile phone usage while driving and make it utterly unacceptable, rather than normalising it.”