/nginx/o/2020/07/02/13184152t1h9ff7.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1)
A study by the insurance company If Apdrošināšana on mobile phone use habits while driving found that Latvians (70 percent) use mobile phones most actively while driving, followed by Estonians (68 percent), then Lithuanians (65 percent).
–
Estonians (13 percent), then Latvians (12 percent), but less often – Lithuanians (10 percent) make the most phone calls without using a hands-free system. Baltic residents use the Internet or exchange written information while driving: 10 percent of Lithuanians admit to doing so, 9 percent – Latvians, 8 percent – Estonians.
–
According to Līga Bērziņa, the head of the Indemnity Department of the insurance company in Latvia, although the Road Traffic Regulations state that parallel non-driving activities are not allowed while driving, the use of mobile phones in cars has become a big problem nowadays. The results of the study reveal that the public does not yet pay enough attention to it.
–
“Technological developments have led to our daily lives being so closely linked to smartphones that we can no longer avoid them, even when driving. Even when driving for just a few seconds and a few meters, the focus is often still on the phone and drivers may not notice what is happening on the road. Unfortunately, sometimes these few moments can turn into unpleasant consequences, possibly even for a lifetime, ”says L.Bērziņa.
–
In all three countries, men surveyed said they used their phones much more often than women. In Latvia, 78 percent of men and 61 percent of women have used a mobile phone while driving. In Lithuania, 73 percent of men admitted to using the phone while driving and 57 percent of women, compared to 73 percent and 63 percent in Estonia.
–
“Analyzing the statistics of dangerous driving habits, it can be concluded that women are twice as exemplary: in Latvia, 9 percent of women and 15 percent of men admitted that they call by phone without using a hands-free system. A similar ratio is found in Estonia: 8 percent women and 17 percent men, but in Lithuania – 7 percent women and 13 percent men. The statistics are not favorable for men, looking at the habits of writing news and using the Internet, ”says L.Bērziņa.
–
In all countries, respondents with higher incomes and younger or middle-aged respondents were more likely to use the phone in the car.
–
Younger drivers use mobile phones the most
–
In Latvia, respondents aged 18 to 24 and from 35 to 44 years most actively use the opportunities provided by mobile phones. L.Bērziņa notes that age best reflects the habits of different generations.
–
“Of all age groups, Latvian drivers aged 35 to 44 surf the Internet the most and write text messages behind the wheel (17 percent), while in the age group 45 to 54 only 4 percent admitted this immorality. While drivers in the age group from 18 to 24 are the least likely to make hands-free phone calls (5 percent), in the age group 35 to 44, they make it twice as often (16 percent), ”says L.Bērziņa.
–
“Compared to Latvia’s results, Lithuanian young people in the 18-24 age group do not look so responsible – 24 percent admitted that they use a mobile phone to write a text message and surf the Internet while driving. This is followed by Estonia, where we admit it the most in the age group of 25 to 34 (16 percent), ”says L.Bērziņa.
–
The results show that respondents aged 55 to 65 use the mobile phone in the vehicle the least often, as well as in small towns it is used much less often than in Pieriga and Rīga.
–
The survey was conducted by If Insurance in cooperation with the research company Inspired UM, and was attended by 1,000 respondents.
— .
