Almost a quarter of young drivers use smartphone on the road

Almost a quarter of Belgian drivers (23%) under 35 use their smartphone at least once each time they drive, according to a survey by the Belgian Institute for Road Safety (IBSR) among 600 people, half of whom were under 35.

Six percent of younger drivers admitted to using their phone three times or more during a single ride. Facebook (21%) and WhatsApp (19%) are popular distractions.

Figures among older drivers are also high: 20% of those aged 35-54 use it every time they drive, while 8% of over-55s admit to the same.

Just over half of participants (51%) reach for their smartphone when waiting at a red light or railway crossing. That is not banned in according to the traffic code, but it causes delays because drivers react more slowly when traffic starts up again.

“At least a quarter of the time in the car is spent on things other than focusing on traffic, which leads to a lot of accidents,” said IBSR CEO Karin Genoe. “Youngsters are a risk group in traffic because they often underestimate the dangers.”

With telecom company Telenet, the IBSR has set up the Smart Phones, Smart Drivers campaign to raise awareness among young people about the dangers of using their smartphone behind the wheel.