The malaise of rampant use of cellphones while driving is growing fast in India. The findings of a recent survey reveal that a shocking three out of every five respondents use their mobile phones while driving. Of this, North India leads with 62 percent compared to South with 52 percent.

The survey, conducted by Nissan Motor India in collaboration with Kantar IMRB across 20 states, focussed on day-to-day driving habits of motorists in India, with questions ranging from overspeeding, phone usage, punctuality and trust.

The survey further found out when it comes to trust percentage around 64 percent women respondents trust their spouse when it comes to driving, as against just 37 percent of men who responded the same.

Children, however, scored consistently low on the trust score with 30 percent respondents rating them the least.  The survey also identified the increased need for vigilance as respondents (72% in Tamil Nadu, 70% in Kerala, 57% in Punjab and 66% in Delhi NCR), said that they would always want to monitor their children while they are driving.

When it came to breaking the law and being caught by the police, only one in four survey respondents admitted that they have been caught.

Additionally, overspeeding poses another growing problem; 60 percent of respondents admitted to overspeeding in Kerala, followed by 51 percent in Delhi, and 28 percent in Punjab.

Jerome Saigot, managing director, Nissan Motor India, said, “The findings of the Nissan Connected Families of India survey have not only revealed some startling facts but also raised a need for in-car technology and connectivity for safety of the loved ones. This has been further affirmed by the fact that 53 percent respondents expressed the desire to be connected to their family even while driving.”

 “At Nissan we keep the consumers at the heart of everything we do. As a part of Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility, we have introduced NissanConnect to make the car more responsive. Equipped with 50 plus features to ensure safety, security and convenience, NissanConnect is the first and only telematics control unit based Connected Car Technology in the industry,” he added.

Apart from trust and vigilance, the survey highlighted interesting patterns in India’s driving habits. About 68 percent Indians confessed to always getting lost while driving to a new place, often leaving their families worried and anxious. Moreover, nearly 64 percent of the respondents admitted to getting late for meetings. This trend varied from North to South, as 65 percent respondents in Kerala conceded to failing in keeping time commitments as opposed to 48 percent in Punjab.

Also read: First India distracted driving study reveals high level of cellphone use

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