Press release -
HALF OF SMOKERS DISTRACTED BEHIND THE WHEEL
With the new smoking ban for motorists set to come into effect from October, Allianz Insurance has found that almost half (47%) of drivers who smoke admit that they have been distracted by smoking behind the wheel.
The majority of drivers who smoke (67%) acknowledge that it does affect attention levels and, as a result, half of those polled (52%) support a complete ban to stop drivers and passengers smoking – this legislation is an important step on a journey to safer roads.
With a third of motorists (34%) not knowing what the upcoming smoking ban in cars involves, Allianz Insurance wants to raise awareness to help drivers be more focused behind the wheel.
Allianz Insurance found that Brits rated smoking behind the wheel just as distracting as eating (34% / 33%) and twice as distracting as using a sat nav (17%). According to the research, the top five driving distractions are[i]:
1.Speaking on a mobile phone (82%)
2.Messing around with the radio / music system (52%)
3.Smoking (34%)
4.Eating (33%)
5.Loud Passengers (19%)
Tim Pitts, Allianz’s road safety expert, said: “The new law prompted us to look at whether drivers felt that smoking when they were driving was a distraction and the research results suggest a large number of them do. We hope smokers will think twice about smoking when driving.
“Distracted driving has been front of mind for us for many years and we know that eating, drinking or smoking behind the wheel increases the risk of an accident by 150%[ii]. Today’s research shows that mobile phones are the biggest in-car distraction, but we know from previous tests we’ve undertaken that holding a cigarette is as distracting as holding a mobile when driving.”
The new legislation will affect drivers and passengers who smoke with under-18s in the car, but a third of UK motorists (34%) have not heard of the ban or what it involves. On average, drivers smoke three cigarettes a week with minors in the car, adding up to 156 cigarettes each year. A third of drivers (34%) are also not aware that they could face fines of up £800 for breaking the ban, and a fine of £10,000 should their passenger smoke.
For more information on Allianz Insurance, please visit: allianz.co.uk
ENDS
About the research
This survey was carried out on behalf of Allianz Insurance by OnePoll Research, who interviewed 2,000 people between 26 and 29 January 2015.
About Allianz
Allianz Insurance is one of the largest general insurers in the UK and part of the Allianz SE Group, one of the leading integrated financial services providers worldwide and the largest property and casualty insurer in the world. With approximately 142,000 employees worldwide, the Allianz Group serves approximately 78 million customers in more than 70 countries.
The mission of Allianz Insurance is to be the outstanding competitor in our chosen markets by delivering products and services that our clients recommend, being a great company to work for and achieving the best combination of profit and growth.
About the upcoming ban
In February 2014, Parliament voted in favour of legislation that gave the Secretary of State powers to bring forward regulations to make private vehicles carrying children smokefree. These regulation-making powers are at Section 95 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
For further information contact:
Lauren Hunt-Morgan/ Helen Braddock Consolidated PR
Tel: 020 3697 4386/ 020 3697 4320
Email: Lauren.Hunt-Morgan@consolidatedpr.com / Helen.Braddock@consolidatedpr.com
[i] Respondents selected their top three most distracting things when driving
[ii]Eating, drinking or smoking increases the risk of a traffic accident by one and a half times, according to Allianz http://knowledge.allianz.com/search.cfm?1861/road-safety-distracted-driving
