Summer is here (finally) and it’s the time of year for pub gardens, barbecues and road trips. However, 18-24 year olds will need take extra care on the road as a new survey by Ford has shown this age group is at greater risk. This is because they are the most likely to be distracted…by attractive pedestrians. Men are three times are likely to be affected by this ‘distraction’ than women Ford has found.
More than 6,500 young motorists across Europe were asked what distracts them behind the wheel it turns out British drivers are most likely to be distracted by attractive pedestrians. 57% of those asked said they had exceeded the speed limit – I sense a few liars – whilst 43% admitted to sending a text when they are behind the wheel.
16% said that do not wear seatbelts, 13% said they had driven after drinking and 11% even said they had watched a video on a mobile device whilst behind the wheel. As part of the survey Ford is offering free training thanks to the Ford Driving Skills For Life programme. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for young people and men are more likely to be involved in accidents due to riskier driving.
However, 57% of the young drivers said that drove more safely whilst in the company of an older person so with that in mind Ford has released a spoof advert for a fictional product called ‘Blown Ups’. It’s a blow up doll that rapidly inflates when a young driver is irresponsible behind the wheel and the advert is pretty entertaining.
“Summer is a great time to enjoy the freedom of driving, which is as much a part of being young today as it was for previous generations. But too many young adults are dying in car crashes caused by a combination of inexperience and poor decision making,” said Jim Graham, manager, Ford DSFL.