Drivers admit to being on autopilot when behind the wheel

Many drivers often admit that they have forgotten whole chunks of their car journeys, either to and from work or on longer trips, but a new study carried out by esure car insurance has revealed just how mentally switched off many people become when they get behind the wheel of a car.

The survey questioned over 1,000 drivers of different ages and genders to establish their driving habits, and to calculate just how much of their attention they were giving to the road.

The results were quite shocking with almost a quarter admitting that they regularly felt bored while driving, describing themselves as going onto autopilot.

According to the answers given in the survey, drivers concentrate on the road for an average of just 11 minutes before their minds start to wonder, with those in the north-east of England proving the worst for switching off at the wheel and those in the East Midlands having the longest attention span.

Worryingly, over 30% had made journeys and then couldn’t recall any details of that trip, with the same number admitting that they frequently did other things while they drove, such as fiddling with mobile phones and music players. It seems we are unable to switch off from the office when we get into our cars, as work and tiredness were the two most common reasons drivers became distracted from the road.

Head of risk and underwriting at esure car insurance, Mike Pickard, agreed that the results of his company’s study were cause for concern. He added that while gadget addicts may be used to constantly checking their phone for messages while seated at their desk or walking in the street, it was important that drivers refrained from doing so while behind the wheel, and instead gave their entire focus to driving safely