Research shows that being distracted when driving, such as by a mobile phone, increases the risk of a crash. Simply taking your eyes off the road for longer than two seconds, doubles the risk of a crash. A short lapse of concentration can have lifelong consequences.
See how far you travel when you take your eyes off the road for just two seconds:
Travel speed           Metres travelled in 2 seconds
40 km/h              22.22
50 km/h              27.78
60 km/h              33.33
80 km/h              44.44
100 km/h             55.56
Dangerous problem
Crash data from 2010 to 2014 showed there were 236 crashes where hand-held mobile phone use by drivers was identified as a contributing factor. This included seven fatal crashes and 116 injury crashes. These crash numbers are considered to be under-reported suggesting the size of the problem could be much greater.
From July 2014 to June 2015, more than 35,300 fines were issued to drivers in NSW for using hand-held mobile phones, showing the problem is still prevalent.
Research shows that males and females aged 17-39 years have the highest rate of use of hand-held mobile phones while driving, and the greatest involvement in crashes where hand-held mobile phone use is a factor.