Car Insurance News
25/10/2010
iPod use puts young drivers at risk
An online pressure group has expressed concern that today's young drivers are focused more on beats than their brakes whilst behind the wheel.
Campaigners at Tune into Traffic say the use of handheld music devices whilst driving has lead to an increasing number of accidents in recent years, risking lives and ramping up the price of young driver car insurance.
Using a handheld device behind the wheel has been outlawed since 2003, but the rise of portable music players like the iPod has lead to an increasing number of young motorists breaking the rules for the sake of a good tune.
"Road traffic collisions are the biggest cause of death among young people," said Tune into Traffic founder Manpreet Darroch.
"From our own observations and what young people are telling us, the distraction posed by these devices is huge."
The consequences of such a distraction whilst driving can be disastrous, ranging from loss of life and destruction of property to a fine and the loss of cheap car insurance for those who are caught out.
"Modern smartphones can be configured so as not to make calls or send messages when travelling above a given speed," said a spokesperson for the young driver car insurance team at Hoot.
"Perhaps the same technology could be used to lock the controls of an iPod whilst driving."
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