Whilst we may not like to admit it, most of us have experienced an occasional sense of ‘how did I get here?’ when driving. Perhaps when driving on a long stretch of straight road or motorway we’ve lost track of which junction we’ve passed or realised that we ‘zoned out’ for a few seconds.
A recent survey by the AA has revealed that 15% of drivers very often experience episodes where they can’t remember the last few moments, or longer, of their journeys.
According to the AA-Populus poll of 27,662 drivers, female drivers (17%) are more likely to admit to motoring memory blanks than males (13%) and 31% of men are adamant they never forget. One in seven experience episodes where they can’t remember the last few moments.
Perhaps unexpectedly, younger drivers were more prepared to admit to motoring memory blanks.
Whereas 17% of survey respondents from Yorkshire, Humberside and Wales admitted to memory blanks, only 12% of drivers from London and Wales said that they missed moments whilst driving.
Whether we’re prepared to hold our hands up to zoning out or not, modern cars are so easy to drive that it’s all too easy to drift into auto-pilot mode and lose concentration. The AA estimates that the most common causes of accidents are drivers failing to exercise due control or looking properly so it’s something we all need to be aware of.
So, the next time you get behind the wheel of your pride and joy, take a fresh look at the controls and remember just how much horsepower you’re responsible for.
