Paying attention to ringing phone while driving may be risky 

 Nearly 50 per cent of drivers ignore safety and believe that paying attention to a ringing phone while driving may not be as risky as talking, texting or browsing, researchers say.

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According to a study:

• The findings showed that locating a ringing phone, checking who is calling.
• And rejecting or answering the call, seems to be easier for drivers and they perceive it to have only a mid-range crash risk.
• However, according to research, this task is one of the most risky activities a driver can engage in.
• This is because drivers are likely to adapt their driving behaviour when talking, texting and browsing.
• By reducing their speed, increasing their distance from the vehicle in front and scanning their environment more frequently.
• On the other hand, a ringing mobile phone can occur at any time.
• In addition,without giving time for the driver to adapt their behaviour and therefore increases the likelihood of a crash.

Experiment:

• In the study, the team examined 484 Queensland drivers.
• They found that 45 per cent admitted to locating and answering a ringing phone.
• Compared to 28 per cent who reported speaking on a handheld device.
• More drivers reported looking at a screen for more than two seconds or locating and answering a ringing phone.
• In addition,than they did talking on a handheld phone, texting or browsing.