Peter Palmer: New Interactive Game Highlights The Dangers of Distracted Driving

Research finds that distracted driving is one of the top causes of accidents worldwide.
Kwik Fit’s interactive Driven To Distraction game shows just how dangerous it can be.
The new game tests your traffic and safety knowledge, along with your reaction time.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving accounted for 3,166 deaths in the United States in 2017. Distracted driving is anything that takes your attention from the road, although it’s most commonly associated with smartphone usage. NHTSA finds that sending or reading a text takes approximately five seconds, enough to travel the length of a football field at 55 mph. With the average speed limits of U.S. states being well over 55 mph, it makes distracted driving all that more dangerous.

A new, interactive game from Kwik Fit, a leading automotive service provider in the United Kingdom, highlights the dangers of distracted driving. Like in the U.S., distracted driving is also a concern in the UK. The Department for Transport finds the number of vehicle fatalities caused by smartphone usage is on the rise. Officials and safety advocates describe the latest statistics as a wake-up call.

Disclosure: This article is sponsored by and done in collaboration with Kwik Fit. For more information, please review our advertising guidelines.

Driven To Distraction

Kwik Fit’s Driven To Distraction game tests your road knowledge and your reaction time. The object is to read a text message in the form of a question, and respond with the correct answer; all while looking out for STOP signs. There are three levels: Easy, Medium, and Hard with the car moving quicker and the questions becoming increasingly harder with each level. The questions deal with the rules of the road, and although they are not more than a sentence long, it’s easy to miss the STOP signs. Kwik Fit developed the game to bring attention to the dangers of distracted driving.

Kwik Fit’s Driven To Distraction game tests your knowledge of the road while also testing your reaction time.

Tougher Than We Realized

The question “What should the left-hand lane of a motorway be used for?” we did not answer fast enough, despite it being a relatively easy one. In fact, we could hardly read the multiple choice answers! We quickly clicked our mouse when we caught the STOP sign, avoiding the question entirely. However, we were still 0.190 seconds slower while using the phone, despite abandoning the question. According to Kwik Fit’s Driven To Distraction game, at 30 mph, this would have taken us nearly nine additional feet to stop. That may not sound like a lot, but it can be the difference between life and death.

At one point, we missed the STOP sign by more than three seconds because of looking at the phone. As a result, we traveled over 150 feet past where we needed to stop! We’ve included the screenshot below.

Related: Distracted driving kills and it’s a worldwide problem.

How To Play

Begin by concentrating as the car is moving; when you see the STOP sign, click on the screen. On the next round, a phone will appear obstructing your view. A question about road safety and/or traffic laws will come up; read it carefully and select the right answer. Try to get as many correct as you can, but click the mouse when you see a STOP sign.

Kwik Fit’s Driven To Distraction game records your time on reach round. You can play with your friends at the office to see who has the best reaction times. On your way home, remember to buckle up and drive defensively. Place your phone in the center console or out of reach so don’t look at it while driving.

About Kwik Fit

Kwik Fit opened their first location in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1971 and now operate over 600 service centers across the UK, including Northern Ireland. The company offers an extensive range of automotive parts and repairs, including tires, brakes, exhaust work, MOT testing, and air conditioning recharges. Kwik Fit is one of the UK’s top tire suppliers, carrying some of the world’s most recognizable brands like Pirelli, Goodyear, Michelin, Continental, and Dunlop. Kwik Fit’s Master Technicians are highly-skilled, and complete one of the most in-depth and comprehensive training programs in the industry.