Using a mobile phone while driving can be distracting. Research shows that using a hand-held or hands-free mobile phone while driving may increase your chance of a crash by as much as four times.
The law
How mobile phones distract the driver
Why it’s dangerous to use a mobile phone when driving
Talking to a passenger is different to talking on a mobile phone
Text messaging
The more you talk the less you see
Safe driving tips and the mobile phone
Links to more information
It is illegal in all Australian states and territories to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving. This includes:
- talking
- texting
- playing games
- taking photos/video
- using any other function on your phone.
Using a mobile phone is also illegal when your vehicle is stationary but not parked e.g. when you’re stopped at traffic lights.
Drivers who break this law in Victoria face an on-the-spot fine and incur three demerit points.
Learner and P1 drivers are not permitted to use a hand-held or hands-free mobile phone while driving.
Driving is complex and challenging. A simple way to make driving safer is to reduce the number of non-driving and distracting activities you undertake while driving.
Using a mobile phone while driving distracts you in many ways:
- Physical distraction is caused by handling the phone while driving. For example, removing your hand from the steering wheel to dial a phone number, to answer or end a call.
- Visual distraction is caused by the amount of time you have your eyes off the road.
- Cognitive distraction refers to lapses in attention and judgement. This happens when you have to perform two mental tasks at the same time. Having a conversation competes with the demands of driving, with your attention often changing from driving to the conversation. This results in unsafe driving and increases the risk of a crash.
Research shows that dialling and talking on a mobile phone while driving can lead to:
- Riskier decision making
Deciding when it is safe to turn in traffic is a complex task. Using a mobile phone while driving affects judgement and concentration and you may fail to choose a safe gap. When making a decision to turn across oncoming traffic, you also tend not to consider the environmental conditions such as, when it is raining or the roads are slippery. If you don’t make safe turns you could crash.
- Slower reactions
You generally react slower when using a mobile phone, particularly when you’re deep in conversation. You may take longer to respond to traffic signals or completely miss them.
- Slower and less controlled braking
During a mobile phone call your brake reaction time is slower, and you brake with more force and less control which results in shorter stopping distances available between yourself and the car in front.
- Wandering out of your lane
You’re more likely to wander out of your lane when you’re using a mobile phone, even on a straight road with little traffic.
- Not being alert to your surroundings
When using a mobile phone, you tend to spend less time checking your mirrors and what’s going on around you. This affects your ability to monitor and negotiate traffic safely.
If a dangerous situation develops, your passenger can stop talking and let you concentrate on driving. On a mobile phone, the person you’re talking to isn’t aware of the danger and will keep talking, further distracting you when your full concentration is needed.
Text messaging while driving results in physical, visual and cognitive distraction. Research shows that retrieving and sending text messages increases the amount of time a driver spends not looking at the road. Your eyes maybe taken off the road for up to four times longer when text messaging compared to a driver who is not text messaging. This leads to:
- incorrect lane changes
- wandering from your lane
- missing road signs and hazards like pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles
Even the best drivers have difficulty in processing two or more pieces of information at the same time, especially if the tasks are similar or they demand more attention than the driver can give at one time.
For example, it is more difficult to drive safely and have a simple conversation in a complex driving situation such as in peak hour, on unfamiliar roads, at night and in wet weather. It is less difficult to drive safely in light traffic while having a simple conversation with a passenger.
It is also more difficult to drive safely and have a complex conversation in light traffic. This conversation needs more attention and takes your mind off the road. When your mind’s not on the road, someone can die.
- Use voicemail.
- Pull over safely and park to make or receive a call.
- Plan breaks in your trip for phone calls.
- Tell your family and friends not to call when you know you’ll be driving.
- Tell callers you are driving and may have to end the call.
- Don’t make calls in heavy traffic, poor road conditions or bad weather.
- Never look up phone numbers.
- Never read or send text messages.
A mobile phone can be important in an emergency. If you need to use your mobile phone to call for help, stop and park safely where you will not endanger other road users.
If you drive while phoning you’re far more likely to get into a crash in which you’ll be injured [PDF, 799kb,8pp]
The effects of text messaging on young novice driver performance [PDF, 346kb, 40pp]
The risk of using a mobile phone while driving [PDF, 257kb, 40pp]
Drivers ignore the risk of mobile phone use
Role of mobile phones in motor vehicle crashes resulting in hospital attendance: A care-crossover study
Mobile phone use while driving. Conclusions from four investigations