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INFOGRAPHIC: 4 myths about distracted driving in SA

Cape Town - Up to 25% of crashes in South Africa are due to distracted drivers, according to MasterDrive SA.

MasterDrive SA said: "A single use of a cellphone results in an average of 52 seconds of distracted driving. It is for this reason that MasterDrive and Bakwena are joining forces to bring awareness to this extremely dangerous habit with their ‘It can wait campaign'."

'They look but don''t see'

MasterDrive claims drivers using their cellphone can fail to notice up to 50% of their  environment, including pedestrians and traffic lights.

"They look, but they don't see," says the company and says this is known as 'inattentional blindness'.

MasterDrive said: "Most people may know that texting while driving is a dangerous behaviour, but many don't fully grasp the idea that having a cell phone conversation in the car is also risky."

WATCH: 'Most taxi drivers are better than you!'

Here are MasterDrive's myths and facts of cell phone distracted driving...

# Myth 1: Drivers can multitask
# Myth2: Talking to someone on a cell phone is no different than talking to someone in the car. 
# Myth 3: Hands-free devices eliminate the danger of cell phone use during driving.
# Myth 4: Drivers talking on cell phones still have a quicker reaction time than those who are driving under the influence.






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