Approximately one in eight drivers admitted to texting

THE Road Safety Issues in Northern Ireland 2019/2020 report is now available. 

This report, produced by the Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch (ASRB) of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), presents findings from the 2019/2020 Continuous Household Survey (CHS). 

The publication is available on the ASRB website at:https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/road-safety-issues-nothern-ireland.

Key Points

* The majority of respondents (90%) correctly thought that the presence of street lights, generally means that the speed limit is 30 miles per hour.
* Almost three-fifths of all drivers (57%) reported that they used their phone in some capacity while driving. Approximately one in eight drivers admitted to texting and almost one in eleven admitted to making a hand held call while driving.
* The top three risks stated by respondents of using a mobile phone while driving were being more likely to cause a crash (94%), being more likely to be involved in a crash and being less likely to notice a danger ahead (both with 86%).
* Less than half (49%) of respondents believe that drivers were likely to be stopped by police for using their mobile phone while driving. Over two thirds (69%) of respondents correctly identified that the police penalty for being caught was a fine plus penalty points. Almost three-fifths (59%) of those surveyed, however, believed that this penalty should be increased.