Driver distraction

Distraction occurs when a driver's attention is diverted away from concentrating on driving.

There are three recognised categories of distraction:

Manual distraction: having your hands off the wheel, this includes using your phone, or fiddling with something in the car
Visual distraction: taking your eyes off the road to look at something else in the immediate environment, e.g. the scenery.
Cognitive distraction: when your mind is pre-occupied; e.g. when you're replaying a conversation in your head or thinking about what to have for dinner. Acoustic distraction i.e. noises and sounds can also be a subtype of cognitive distraction.

Passenger distraction:
Several studies have shown the crash risk for young drivers is higher if they have passengers in the car. With two or more passengers, the risk is 10 times greater compared to driving alone and the risk is at its greatest when the passengers are a similar age to the driver.

As a driver you can speak up and let your passengers know when their behaviour is distracting you. As a passenger, consider your role in the car and think about how your actions could distract the driver. Help the driver out by watching the road and managing other distractions in the car.

Cellphone distraction:
It's illegal for a driver to:
- Hold/use a mobile phone at any time behind the wheel
- Create, send or read any type of message while driving
- Email, use social media, video call, browse the internet, play games, take videos/photos
- Use the phone for navigation or to play music (unless hands-free)
- Perform any other activity not specifically listed 
These functions are only permitted when legally parked.
The penalty for using a handheld mobile phone while driving is $150 and 20 demerit points on your licence.

Note: a driver can legally make a 111 or *555 call if it isn't safe or practical to stop the car and make the call.
While hands-free phone calls are legal in New Zealand, we do not recommend this. Research shows hands-free phone calls reduce reaction times by up to 50%.

Best practice when driving:
- Set your car up before you drive (adjust mirrors, seats, set the music and GPS and air conditioning so you don't need to fiddle with anything while driving).
- Single-task - driving is a full focus activity; don't try and do anything else at the same time. 
- Put your phone out of sight and out of reach (in your handbag or the glove compartment). Let calls go to voicemail. 
- Turn your phone OFF or activate a 'Do not disturb while driving' mode (this will silence notifications but you can still get navigation assistance)
-  Allow extra time and plan rest breaks (this will help prevent driver fatigue but also allow you time to eat, hydrate, smoke, check messages etc away from the car).

Read more:
For more evidence-based content on driver distraction refer to our article on Top 10 Driving Distractions.