Driver observation skills well below perceived levels
New research has revealed that actual driver observation skills are far below their perceived levels.
Three quarters of drivers are confident that they notice everything important while behind the wheel.
However, a study of more than 1,000 motorists carried out by MoneySuperMarket revealed a striking gap between how much motorists believe they observe and how much they actually do.
Participants were invited to watch a short traffic clip and then answer questions. The clip included nine dark grey cars, eight white cars, five silver cars, three blue cars, two black cars, one red car and one yellow car, but only 15% identified dark grey as the most common car colour. Meanwhile, 56% failed to notice the red car at all.
Among the participants, a primed group was asked to pay particular attention to silver cars, but 21% of this group still said they didn’t see any in the clip compared to 36% of everyone else.
Potential risks
Alicia Hempsted, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket said: “Even for the most experienced drivers, it’s crucial to be aware of your entire surroundings when driving a vehicle. Narrowly focusing on one object or task – such as looking for a parking space or trying to spot a person in a crowd – can cause divers to miss potential risks happening around them and other important details.
“It takes a conscious effort to maintain awareness behind the wheel, but it’s a skill that becomes easier with practice. Even on familiar journeys you take every day, you may be surprised by details you’ve missed when you’re not paying attention – and this skill will lead to safer driving in future.”
