Sydney Swans
Watch our video featuring Sydney Swans players with their simple game plan... Get your hand off it while you are driving.
Our partnership with the Sydney Swans helps raise awareness of the dangers of drivers illegally using a mobile phone through the ‘Get Your Hand Off It’ campaign. The partnership uses the power of sport to build awareness and promote safe driving behaviour.
Are you driving blind?
Research shows that being distracted when driving, such as by a mobile phone, increases the risk of a crash. Simply taking your eyes off the road for longer than two seconds, doubles the risk of a crash.
At 60 km/h if you look at your phone while driving for just two seconds, you travel 33 metres blind. A short lapse of concentration can have lifelong consequences.
See how far you travel at different speeds when you take your eyes off the road for just two seconds:
| Travel speed | Metres travelled in 2 seconds |
|---|---|
| 40 km/h | 22.22 |
| 50 km/h | 27.78 |
| 60 km/h | 33.33 |
| 80 km/h | 44.44 |
| 100 km/h | 55.56 |
Overview
Our Get your hand off it campaign has evolved to highlight the serious consequences of using your mobile phone illegally while driving, which could cost you or those you care about everything.
The campaign also encourages drivers to know the rules about mobile phone use.
Dangerous problem
In NSW since 2012, there have been 202 casualty crashes involving a driver/rider using a hand held mobile phone – resulting in 18 deaths and 271 injuries. This is based on preliminary data available as at 1 September 2020.
Over the same period in country areas of NSW there have been 103 casualty crashes involving a driver/rider using a hand held mobile phone - resulting in 15 deaths and 132 injuries.
These crash numbers are considered to be under-reported because of the difficulty of finding evidence of illegal mobile phone use at crash scenes. This suggests the size of the problem could be much greater.
From July 2019 to June 2020, more than 62,400 fines were issued to drivers and riders in NSW for illegally using hand-held mobile phones whilst driving or riding, showing the problem is still prevalent.
Audience
Primary: Males and females aged 17-39 years.
Secondary: All NSW drivers.
Research shows that males and females aged 17-39 years have the highest rate of claimed use while driving, and the greatest involvement in crashes where hand-held mobile phone use is a factor.
Main messages
- It's not worth it. Get your hand off it
- At 60 km/h if you look at your phone while driving for just two seconds, you travel 33 metres blind
Mobile phone detection cameras
From 1 March 2020, mobile phone detection cameras, including fixed and transportable cameras, have been detecting drivers and riders illegally using a mobile phone across NSW anywhere, anytime.