KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 — The culture of using cell phones while driving can indirectly affect driving focus for five to 10 seconds, or at normal speed on the highway it is comparable to the vehicle moving unattended for 160 metres.
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Highway Engineering expert, associate professor Mohd Ezree Abdullah said this included drivers using applications such as Global Positioning System, sending or receiving messages, updating status on social media and playing video games.
He said not many drivers realised that they had actually shifted their driving visual and wiping their focus on the vehicle being controlled and simultaneously inviting a road accident.
“Based on my random observations, over 40 per cent or four in 10 Malaysians use the cell phones to send or receive messages via applications like WhatsApp while driving,” he said when contacted by Bernama here today.
Mohd Ezree said, more attention should be given when driving in congested and slowly moving traffic such as on highways during the current festive season, compared to normal driving.
“Malaysian motorists will take the opportunity to play with their cell phones by taking selfies, sending or answering messages and playing games when the road is jammed or the traffic is moving slowly at 20 to 30 kilometres an hour.
“Such behaviour is inviting mishaps because something untoward can take place such as the front car braking without warning, motorcycle or other vehicles suddenly crossing our path and others,” he said.
In this regard, Mohd Ezree advised motorists to change their attitude by focusing more seriously specifically when driving long distances and during long holidays due to the increase of vehicles on the road which would also lead to a hike in the accident rate. — Bernama
