Victoria, London (prsafe) April 14, 2012 - "Social Driving" Is Bad News According To Fleet Insurance Company-When A Tweet Is No Longer Sociable

Did you know that 37% of UK motorists find it impossible to drive and ignore mobile alerts? Recent surveys have also shown the between 8 to 9% of British drivers use mobile internet services whilst at the wheel. Experts at Cover 4 Fleet Insurance warn that "social driving" is bad news.

A recent survey carried out by IAM, the road safety charity, has revealed that 8% of UK drivers use smart phones while driving. According to a survey carried out by an insurance company, the figure of those using mobile internet services at the wheel is 9%.

Also the research shows that using smart phones to social network while driving is actually more dangerous than driving while under the influence of alcohol or driving while high on cannabis. If you are social networking while at the wheel your reaction times can be slowed down by as much as 37%.

So social networking while driving could turn out not to be such social driving after all. In South Australia 24% admitted to using their phones in this way illegally. However of this 24%, 18% of them stated that they were using social network sites such as Twitter, Facebook and others. In fact 36% of the 24% admit to taking photos with their smart phones while driving, no doubt some of these ending up as tweets.

For those of us who enjoy tweeting, we do of course appreciate the fun as well as potentially informative nature of this form of communication. However it is unlikely that Jack Dorsey, the creator of Twitter, intended that people around the world would tweet while driving, hence putting their own lives and the lives of others on the road at risk.

There are unfortunately numerous examples of tweets while driving that only serve to highlight the inappropriateness of using this social tool while at the wheel. One such example brought to public attention by the IAM is the following:

• @sacksy1 If I'm ever in an accident while driving and tweeting and you're the first person to arrive on the scene, grab my phone and press "Send."

If you want to be witty, but safe, why not pull over if you really do have a seriously cool tweet to send. Only do so safely. Like any road safety practice, building a good and adopting a good habit will mean that you and others on the road can enjoy a safer driving environment. It is only a question of realising when a tweet is no longer sociable.

About Cover 4 Fleet Insurance

As a family business which has expanded and grown successfully over the years, Cover 4 Fleet Insurance is very competitive when it comes to offering you the best fleet insurance. They have a dedicated team who will work on your behalf to find the best balance between the right cover and a low cost, best fleet insurance policy.

Contact:

Press Contact:
Jackie Bourke (de Burca)

Address:

95 Wilton Road, Suite 718,
Victoria
London SW1V 1BZ
United Kingdom

Phone:
0207 099 6158

Website:
www.cover4fleetinsurance.co.uk

E-mail:
cover4fleet@cwa-europe.com

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