The number of drivers killed or seriously injured as a result of in-car distractions has risen 11 per cent over the last decade, figures show.
An analysis of Department for Transport stats shows there were 88 deaths and 614 serious injuries caused by in-car distractions, an 11 per cent increase over the course of the last decade.
Road safety campaigners say the worrying increase is linked to the rise of in-car technology and infotainment system.
A research paper by IAM Roadsmart suggests that “with the steady rise of new, potentially-distracting in-car technology being added to vehicles on an almost daily basis by manufacturers…it seems intuitive that the situation is indeed worsening.”
Tony Greenidge, business development director at IAM RoadSmart, said: “Our white paper shows that with increasing the sophistication of in car technology there is an unintended consequence that requires drivers – typically in real time – to decide how to best process and utilise the information provided.”
Related: Highways England chief raises safety concerns about in-car touchscreens