Mobile devices have become a way of life, their use seemingly perpetual, even inside a vehicle. While laws and enforcement aim to curb drivers’ direct use of them (wherever possible), the hands-free route now has a new issue to contend with, that of Malaysian drivers using devices – as well as built-in vehicle displays – to view entertainment content on them, as The Star reports.
Road safety experts all agree that this growing trend – which also includes the use of aftermarket screens for such viewing – poses a hazard to road safety on a level equal to, or even greater than mobile phone use, given the higher level of distraction in such cases.
According to Universiti Putra Malaysia road safety research centre head Law Teik Hua, watching entertainment content while driving required sustained visual and mental engagement. While drivers might look back at the road periodically when watching a film, part of their visual attention would inevitably remain focused on the screen.
He said even brief glances at a screen could be dangerous in rapidly changing situations such as at intersections, in heavy traffic or at high speeds. “Mental distraction is also a concern as drivers could remain visually focused on the road but have their minds occupied by the film. Film-viewing driver distraction can therefore pose comparable levels of road safety hazards as mobile phone use, or even greater hazards under certain circumstances,” he said.
Law said regulations should specifically prohibit drivers from watching entertainment content, rather than restricting the use of onboard displays for navigation, safety information, reversing cameras and other legitimate driving functions.
Road safety council of Malaysia executive council member Datuk Suret Singh agreed that specific regulations and guidelines should be introduced to govern the use of built-in screens on vehicles. “Entertainment content should be meant solely for passengers, not drivers” he said.
Citing a transport ministry study, which found that 45% of drivers involved in road accidents were using mobile phones while driving, he said that it only took a two-second loss of full focus on the road for a deadly road crash to occu
Concurring with the views of the duo was Malaysian Road and Transport Safety Association president Md Hairolzaman Muhamed Nor, who said watching videos could cause severe visual and cognitive distraction, including “inattentional blindness”, in which a driver might look towards the road but fail to process what was happening.
He said unlike navigation, which generally required only a brief glance, videos required a person to follow moving images continuously. He added that the combined visual, cognitive and auditory distractions from videos potentially reduce a driver’s awareness levels. “This could delay braking by 1.5 to two seconds. At 90 km/h, a two-second delay means the vehicle has travelled about 50 metres before the brakes are applied,” he said.
Hairolzaman called for existing road traffic laws to be expanded to cover “digital distraction,” and suggested higher mandatory fines, demerit points under the Kejara system or suspension of driving licences for those found guilty of installing bypass software allowing videos to be watched on vehicle screens while driving.
Meanwhile, Bukit Aman traffic investigation and enforcement department (JSPT) director Datuk Seri Muhammed Hasbullah Ali said that Malaysia already prohibits non-hands-free phone use while driving, under Rule 17A(1) of the Road Traffic Rules 1959.
He said that motorists should not assume that watching entertainment content while driving is acceptable simply because the law did not specifically name a particular gadget or type of screen in regulations.
He said using a screen for entertainment is not an offence if it is meant for the front passenger or rear passengers, provided it did not obstruct or distract the driver. “From an enforcement perspective, we will consider its positioning, manner of use and whether it affects the driver’s vision, attention or control of the vehicle,” he said.
“If a driver is distracted by a screen and drives without proper care and attention, the case can also be investigated under relevant provisions of the Road Transport Act 1987, including Section 43(1) for careless and inconsiderate driving, depending on the circumstances and evidence,” he told The Star.
“The crucial point is hands-free does not mean attention-free. Even if a device is mounted or a screen is built into the vehicle, drivers should not watch entertainment content while driving. Technology will continue to evolve but the fundamental responsibility of the driver remains the same. Whatever the device, the driver’s attention must remain on the task of driving with the utmost safety. Your eyes and attention should be on the road, ensuring your safety and that of other road users,” he said.
