The Scent Tree As An Accident Risk

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

TÜV Süd has examined what distracts drivers. The result: Above all, sideline activities at the wheel increase the risk of being involved in an accident.

A scent tree on the rearview mirror is often the last resort for owners of used cars. The air freshener covers up smells that have been generated over the years by musty floor coverings, cigarette smoke and wet dogs and, in extreme cases, enables the car to be used in a reasonably tolerable manner.

Navigation systems are complicated

However, the fragrance saver on the rearview mirror is a safety risk. TÜV Süd has found out that the scent tree costs up to 30 percent of the attention - because the driver is constantly distracted by the commuting thing in view.

The organization has investigated what things in the car disturb the driver's concentration. The result: In times of ABS, airbags and ESP, one of the greatest safety risks in traffic is the behavior of the driver himself. Several seconds pass before the destination coordinates are entered into the navigation system, and an SMS steers the eye even longer away from the traffic.

Lane change and end of traffic jam

A lack of attention is one of the most common causes of accidents on German roads. Even supposed little things like lighting a cigarette or reaching for a drink bottle disturb concentration - and at 50 km / h, the car covers exactly 13.8 meters in one second. At a motorway speed of 130 km / h it is a good 35 meters. A brief moment of inattention can be enough to miss a pedestrian on the street, a sudden lane change or the end of a traffic jam.

Regardless of the laws that have been banning telephoning without a hands-free system for years, TÜV Süd therefore advises you to make entries in the navigation system, eat something and the like before driving or to take breaks. And if you absolutely have to smoke in the car, you should at least have an open cigarette pack and a working lighter within reach so that you can light it up quickly.