Drivers take their eyes off the road 7% of the time – travelling MILES without looking where they’re going
Motorists could be taking their eyes off the road for close to two miles in an hour of driving, according to a new scientific study
BRITS are driving for miles without looking where they're going causing hundreds of accidents, according to a new scientific study.
Drivers' eyes are off the road for seven per cent of their time behind the wheel, researchers found.
It means that drivers will look away for an average of two miles across a one-hour car trip at 30mph posing a serious hazard to road safety.
Peugeot conducted the study to demonstrate the benefits of its i-Cockpit system which has a smaller steering wheel and raised instrument panel designed to promote less eye movement during driving.
The car manufacturer tested 25 motorists over the same six-mile journey observing eye movement using special glasses.
Average results revealed drivers were not looking at the road for 7 per cent of the time.
When this figure was applied to a one hour drive at 30mph, the drivers would have travelled a staggering distance of over 3,350 metres (2.1 miles) without looking at the road.
According to government figures, of the 1,445 fatal road crashes in Britain in 2016, 397 of those were recorded by police as having "failure to look" as a major contributory factor.
And with the consequences of drivers taking their eyes off the road so potentially severe, Peugeot's design aims to increase driver engagement with their surroundings.
The i-Cockpit system fitted in the company's new 3008 SUV is said to increase the amount of time drivers have their eyes on the road to 95 per cent - cutting down monitored driving time by 900 metres over an hour.
Peugeot UK managing director, David Peel, said: “We all know the dangers of taking your eyes off the road, whether to adjust the radio or the temperature in the car.
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"When you add the continued distraction of mobile phones, talking to passengers, something catching your eye outside the car and even eating or drinking a coffee, it’s easy to see how the average driver could be in control of a car yet not be looking at the road for over 3,350 metres in a one hour journey.
“As the data shows, the i-Cockpit system helps reduce the need for drivers to look away from the road, and by default enhance driving safety.
"Having all the critical information within their field of vision enables more information to be read easily and quickly. Importantly though, these findings highlight that we – the drivers – still need to play our part in road safety.”