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

Source: The Herald October 09, 2024 13:47 UTC