Driving out Distraction: 1st Central marks Road Safety Week with safety film

The video tells the emotional story of a husband and father, who becomes distracted by his wife’s texts as he drives to the shops from work to buy a gift for his child, culminating in a disaster.

The film forms part of a multichannel campaign launched across the broker’s social channels and its website. First Central is advising drivers to make small changes to enhance their safety – emphasising that something as simple as putting your mobile phone in a glove department or switching it on airplane or driving mode can be lifesaving.

The launch follows a series of alarming reports about road safety. Research shows that as many as 445,000 drivers continue to risk their lives by using their mobile phone behind the wheel. This is coupled with the fact that 2,647 accidents were caused by distractions in a vehicle in 2018, according to the Department of Transport. The increasing number of road casualties over the last four years, as well as advancements in smartphone technology, are leading to the government revising legislation – such as the promise to close a legal loophole that allowed filming and taking photographs on mobile phones while driving.

Ben Tomasetti, chief commercial officer at 1st Central, said: “Many drivers assume that they can multitask while driving – whether it’s a legal manoeuvre such as adjusting the radio or an illegal action like texting. Yet multitasking can be a distraction; and research has found people are four times more likely to be involved in a road crash if they use a mobile phone or are distracted while driving.”

More information on signing up to the Post Driving Out Distraction Campaign is available here.