Norfolk County Council is offering businesses and drivers access to free online training and resources to improve focus while behind the wheel, as part of a new campaign.
The Stay Focused campaign has been launched on the back of figures showing that 42% of all driver related traffic incidents in Norfolk are caused by some form of driver distraction and a loss of concentration at the wheel.
Meanwhile, in a survey, more than half of Norfolk residents (57%) admitted that they had arrived somewhere by car but had no clear recollection of parts of the journey, in a recent road safety attitude survey.
The council says this indicates that driving on autopilot is increasingly common, particularly during familiar routes such as driving back home.
To help influence drivers behaviour and enable more people to travel to their destinations safely, Norfolk County Council Public Health’s Road Safety Team has partnered with Drive iQ, Norfolk Police, Norfolk Fire and Rescue, East of England Ambulance Service and experts in behaviour change to launch the campaign.
Cllr Bill Borrett, cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: “In rural counties like Norfolk many of us spend a lot of time driving, just getting on with daily life.
“These figures suggest that collisions are likely to occur during routine journeys where distractions and tiredness can compromise a driver’s focus.
“The Stay Focused campaign highlights the issue of driving on autopilot and offers tips and guidance on how to keep your brain in gear and fully focused on the drive.”
The Stay Focused resources are available online. They include an interactive quiz developed by the Open University and a Mind Coach podcast, offering valuable insights and techniques to train the brain for enhanced focus during driving.
Norfolk residents can also access a series of free online driver safety education modules thanks to Drive IQ, by visiting their Smarter Driving programme.
Richard Hill, CEO of Drive iQ, said: “At Drive iQ, we are dedicated to improving road safety through education.
“Our collaboration with Norfolk County Council on the Stay Focused campaign highlights our commitment to encouraging attentive driving and making our roads safer for everyone.”
Norfolk residents self-reported the top three reasons that most likely distracted them while driving were: not having sufficient sleep, other adult passengers and using a sat nav.
Prof Gemma Briggs, head of discipline and professor of applied cognitive psychology at Open University, said: “Driving needs all of your attention, all of the time so you can reliably react when needed. Losing focus for just a few seconds can have devastating consequences, so it is your responsibility to control your attention: having both hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road isn’t enough if your mind isn’t also focused on driving.”
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