Distracted and inattentive driving

The 2022 RACQ Annual Road Safety Report found 28% of Queensland drivers admit to driving while doing a task that would interfere with their ability to safely operate their car. And more than 89% of Queenslanders believe distracted driving is a bigger problem now than it was five years ago. So, what is driver distraction, how dangerous is it, and what can you do to stay focused when you’re behind the wheel?

What is driver distraction?

There’s no such thing as multi-tasking while you drive. That’s because driver distraction is defined as anything that takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, or your mind off driving.

All drivers engage in distracting activity while they are driving, and drivers can be distracted by things both inside and outside of their vehicles. Calming a distressed child in the back seat, using maps, staring at a traffic incident or calling a friend are all activities that interfere with safe driving.

How dangerous is distracted driving?

According to the 2022 RACQ Annual Road Safety Report, 92% of respondents believe that driver distraction is a problem in Queensland, and they’re right. Every distraction delays driver reactions, increases the likelihood of missing potential hazards and compromises safety.

In fact, the Queensland Government’s Street Smarts initiative states that distracted driving is as dangerous as drink driving:

“Research shows a driver’s reaction time is comparable to a drink driver with a blood alcohol reading between 0.07 and 0.107.”

What are the effects of distracted driving?

Distracted driving is dangerous for the driver, their passengers, and other road users. On average, 29 Queenslanders die and 1284 are hospitalised every year due to crashes where distracted driving or riding plays a part.

Types of driver distraction

When Queenslanders think of driver distraction, most of us think of mobile phones. In fact, the 2022 RACQ Annual Road Safety Survey found that 86% of people believe that mobile phones are the main reason driver distraction is becoming more of a problem than it was in the past.

There are, however, many ways drivers can become distracted. Driver distraction falls into three categories: visual, physical and cognitive distraction. Many behaviours are a combination of these distraction types, which increases how dangerous they are.

When it comes to driving, one thing is clear: multi-tasking is a myth.

Visual distraction

Visual distraction is taking your eyes off the road, e.g. looking at a mobile phone to read a text message. Visual distraction goes hand in hand with most distracted behaviours.

Did you know: 58.8% of drivers self-report viewing or entering GPS settings while driving.

Physical distraction

Physical distraction involves taking your hands off the steering wheel, e.g. to adjust stereo controls or eat food.

Did you know: 7.2% of drivers self-report taking one or both hands off the steering wheel and their eyes off the road because they’ve been distracted by a child in the car.

Cognitive distraction

Cognitive distraction happens when your attention is taken away from the driving task, e.g. talking to passengers or listening to podcasts. Cognitive distraction usually accompanies physical and visual distractions.

Did you know: 78.7% of Queenslanders self-report being distracted by audio entertainment.

How to reduce driver distraction

While all drivers are susceptible to being distracted, it is possible to train ourselves to choose more appropriate times to deal with distractions.

Tips for drivers:

  • Recognise distractions (e.g. phone ringing, talking passengers) and say ‘not now’
  • Put your phone on ‘Do not disturb’ while you’re driving
  • Set up and start your GPS, music or podcast before you start driving
  • Set up a phone cradle attached to the vehicle in a safe place for hands-free permitted uses
  • Give yourself enough time before you leave to put on makeup, shave or do your hair
  • Make it a rule to never eat or keep snacks in your car
  • Ensure that children and pets are safely restrained

Tips for passengers

  • Avoid stressful or emotional conversations with drivers
  • Assist with identifying potential hazards
  • Respect the driver’s need to concentrate

Our distracted driving priorities

At RACQ, we aim to make sure that all drivers stop multi-tasking. We do this by:

  • Educating drivers on both the risks of distracted driving and ways to manage and reduce distractions (physical, visual, cognitive) while driving.
  • Continuing to support education campaigns in coordination with appropriate and timely enforcement activities targeting sources of driver distraction.
  • Advocating for legislation, regulations and standards to keep pace with the introduction and use of devices in vehicles that potentially distract drivers.
  • Advocating for better enforcement of current laws relating to mobile phone use while driving and educating the community on the general distraction resulting from mobile phone use (hands-free or otherwise).
  • Continuing to research the types of driver distraction and their impacts on driving.

Fatigued driving

Fatigue is often referred to as the hidden killer because many drivers are unaware they are experiencing its effects until it is too late.

Fatigue is a major contributing factor to fatal road crashes, but the exact number of crashes involving fatigue may currently be under-reported (Queensland Transport 2006, p10 and 2008, p17).

International research suggests that between 15-30% of all road crashes are caused by drivers falling asleep behind the wheel (Lindheim 2008, p34).
Research also suggests that fatigue is more likely to be a contributing factor in crashes which have involved long trips, long periods of non-stop driving and trips during normal sleeping times when the driver has not had sufficient sleep (Australian Transport Council 2008, p44). Drivers who have sleep disorders, take medication, are driving alone or are driving on long rural roads are also at higher risk of being involved in a fatigue-related crash (Queensland Transport 2008, p17).

High-risk times for fatigue-related crashes appear to be mid-afternoon and between midnight and dawn. Driving on less than five hours’ sleep in the previous 24 hours raises the risk of having a crash threefold (Connor et al. 2002).

Tips to avoid driver fatigue

Driver fatigue is a major safety issue on Queensland’s roads. This episode of RACQ TV explores the dangers of driving tired.

While fatigue management programs, driving hour restrictions and chain of responsibility legislation have been introduced to address fatigue problems in the heavy vehicle industry, fatigue is particularly difficult to detect and enforce for the private driver.

The ways in which a driver can be monitored and warned of the onset of fatigue are continually being researched and developed. However, until there is widespread availability of reliable technology that enables a driver impaired by fatigue to be alerted and/or detected, public education and advertising campaigns will continue to be necessary to make drivers of all vehicles aware of the dangers and early warning signs of fatigue and what they can do to minimise their risks of driving while tired.

Other current and past measures used in Queensland to combat fatigue-related crashes include education and advertising campaigns, engineering approaches such as adding rest areas, rumble strips, road duplication, crash barriers, audio-tactile line-marking and better road shoulders, the driver reviver program and fatigue management programs for heavy vehicle drivers.

It is important to keep in mind that many of these measures only help reduce the risk of having a fatigue-related crash. There needs to be a conscious effort to address the core problem i.e., that quality sleep remains the only real cure or preventative measure for fatigue.

Advice for motorists:

The best way to avoid fatigue crashes is to PLAN:

  • Your trips well in advance.  RACQ maps, the online trip planner and the Road Reporting Hotline (13 19 40) can help.
  • To get plenty of sleep before you leave.
  • To take regular rest breaks (including power naps if necessary).
  • To share the driving if possible.
  • To eat well-balanced meals along the way, without consuming alcohol (which also makes you drowsy).
  • To drive no more than 8-10 hours in a day.
  • To stay somewhere overnight if you’re on a long trip.
Do not continue to drive while tired and do not rely on short-term remedies to offset the symptoms of fatigue (e.g., turning up music, drinking coffee/energy drinks etc.).

The only cure or preventative measure for fatigue is sleep.
    1. Further research the factors leading to fatigue-related crashes, including categories of road users most at risk. Educate and change beliefs and behaviours of the community, particularly identified target groups:
      - about the dangers of driving when fatigued (e.g., motorists driving in rural and remote areas);
      - not to depend on unreliable or short-term remedies to offset the symptoms
      - how to manage the fatigue problem, e.g., enough regular, good quality sleep, treatments for sleep disorders, advice on preparing and planning trips, the need for taking regular breaks en-route, getting adequate sleep including power naps (minimum 15 minutes), campaigns for overseas visitors and commercial drivers.
    2. Provide, enhance and promote road-based fatigue countermeasures, e.g., rumble strips, audible edge lines and a network of quality roadside rest areas at strategic locations along key travel routes adequately signed and marked on maps.
    3. Reduce the severity of fatigue-related crashes by designing and improving roads and roadside environments to address head-on and run off road crashes, e.g., road duplication, crash barriers (median and roadside), rumble lines, overtaking lanes, removal of roadside hazards.
    4. Research and develop measures and devices that can monitor and detect driver fatigue from both inside the vehicle and the external environment and apply it to both heavy vehicles and buses and light vehicle drivers.
    5. Investigate and implement enforcement opportunities using this technology.
    6. Further encourage the implementation of fatigue management programs that ensure safe working conditions in the heavy vehicle industry.

  • Australian Transport Council 2008, National Road Safety Action Plan 2009 and 2010, Australian Transport Council, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

    Connor, J., Norton, R., Ameratunga, S., Robinson, E., Civil, I., Dunn, R., Bailey, J., and Jackson, R. 2002, ‘Driver sleepiness and risk of serious injury to car occupants; population based case control study’, British Medical Journal, Vol. 324: 1125.

    Data Analysis Unit 2009, Personal Correspondence to RACQ, 03/06/09, Queensland Transport, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

    Green, M. 2008, ‘Fatigue in Traffic’ from Green, M. (Ed), Nordic Road and Transport Research No. 2 2008, VTI, Linköping, Sweden.

    Lindheim, C.W., 2008, ‘Traffic Safety Campaigns in Norway’ from Green, M. (Ed), Nordic Road and Transport Research No. 2 2008, VTI, Linköping, Sweden.

    Queensland Transport 2006, Queensland Road Safety Action Plan 2006-2007: safe4life, Queensland Government, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

    Queensland Transport 2008, Queensland Road Safety Action Plan 2008-2009: safe4life, Queensland Government, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Things to note

The information in this article has been prepared for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal advice or specific advice to any particular person. Any advice contained in the document is general advice, not intended as legal advice or professional advice and does not take into account any person’s particular circumstances. Before acting on anything based on this advice you should consider its appropriateness to you, having regard to your objectives and needs.