Discovery Insure has revealed that more car accidents in South Africa result from mobile phone use than speeding.
Its CEO, Robert Attwell, shared these findings at the launch of the Vitality Car Rating programme.
CELL PHONE DISTRACTIONS ARE A MAJOR RISK, SAYS DISCOVERY
The Vitality Car Rating programme is based on 13 years of Discovery Insure data. This data includes underwriting, accident reports, repair costs, and driving behaviour.
“We are told that speed kills. But recent data shows that cellphone distractions have become the leading cause of accidents,” Attwell said.
MasterDrive, a driver training organisation, supported this claim with its own data. Last year, the organisation published that an estimated 25% of crashes are due to drivers using cell phones while driving.
Attwell explained that the act alone significantly increases the risk of an accident. Discovery Insure data shows drivers who engage with their phones are more likely to be involved in collisions than those who exceed speed limits.
This aligns with findings from global studies, which suggest that distracted driving
- reduces reaction times,
- impairs judgment, and
- leads to dangerous driving behaviour.
MasterDrive also highlighted that even a few seconds of distraction can have fatal consequences. A vehicle travelling at 60 kilometres per hour covers about 16 metres per second. This means a driver looking at their phone for just three seconds could travel nearly 50 metres without paying attention to the road.
And everyone knows that anything can happen out of the blue over a mere 50-metre stretch of road.
WHAT IS SOUTH AFRICA DOING ABOUT THIS?
The National Road Traffic Act prohibits drivers from using hand-held communication devices while operating a vehicle. This includes holding a cellphone or any other device in one or both hands or with any part of the body while driving. Drivers may only use such devices if they are fixed to the vehicle or allow for hands-free operation.
Enforcement of this law involves issuing fines to offenders. In Cape Town, authorities have the power to confiscate cellphones from drivers caught using them illegally. And yes, they can even take away your R30k iPhone 16 pro.
However, enforcing this law remains a challenge. This is because detecting and proving cellphone use while driving requires active monitoring by law enforcement officers.
But SA might soon look to take a leaf out of Australia’s book.
Australia has introduced mobile phone detection cameras to tackle this issue. In South Australia, these cameras began issuing fines after a trial period. Motorists caught using their phones while driving faced penalties of 658 AUD (R7600) and three demerit points.
During the trial, over 71 000 instances of mobile phone use were detected in just two months.
DISCOVERY INSURE COMES TO THE TABLE
Atwell told The South African that Discovery Insure was prepared to come to the table from a private sector space to play their part in helping make SA ‘s roads safer.
In addition to their pothole patrol initiative, they planned to now attempt to inspire a change in driver behaviour.
As such, they have introduced the Vitality Car Rating programme.
The Vitality Car Rating programme is a rewards programme that uses telematics to measure how and where a vehicle is driven.
Demonstrating the latest technology to The South African, Discovery Insure explained that a small monitoring device is fitted into the car. This device then connects to the driver’s smartphone via Bluetooth.
Before the trip starts, the driver opens the Discovery Insure app and taps the ‘record driving’ icon. The trip begins with a certain number of points.
During the journey, the app detects excessive speeding, harsh braking, a lack of pothole avoidance, bad speedhump handling, poor cornering, and even phone screen interaction. If these occur, points are deducted.
HOW DOES THIS HELP?
“These points eventually translate into data, which provides insights into the true condition of a vehicle. This creates a fair and reliable rating mechanism,” Attwell explained.
The points contribute to the Vitality Car Score, which considers three key factors: accident history, driving behaviour, and mileage type (whether the vehicle has been frequently driven in stop-start traffic or on open roads).
If a vehicle maintains a high rating, it could have a higher resale value. “Vehicles with a five-star rating receive a 15% boost in resale value,” Attwell said.
WILL THIS MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON SA ROADS, THOUGH?
Of course, the success of this initiative will depend on whether drivers actively use the system or not. Those looking to sell their car in the near future may be more inclined to participate, while others might be less interested and consider it too much admin.
However, Discovery Insure confirmed that high ratings will soon impact insurance premiums too.
“Drivers who are Diamond Vitality Drive Status get a 0% anniversary increase on their motor insurance…
“The Vitality Drive status is specifically linked to behaviours that impact your accident risk and therefore the link to premium for Diamond drivers is clearer. The factors in the car rating (although they overlap) are closer aligned to those that impact wear and tear on your vehicle,” the company said.
DO YOU THINK THIS INITIATIVE WILL HELP, OR SHOULD THE METRO POLICE FORCE UTILISE MOBILE PHONE DETECTION CAMERAS TO REDUCE ACCIDENTS? DO YOU THINK THIS WILL GIVE THEM JUST ANOTHER WAY TO EXPLOIT DRIVERS?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
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