ALMOST nine out of 10 drivers regularly drive while distracted and admit to not being able to remember parts of the journey.

The ‘zoning out’ problem has been termed ‘driving amnesia’ by fleet management firm Masterlease, which carried out the research and found it affects 89% of drivers.

The company warns that zoning out on a familiar journey could be a key factor behind the 40% of accidents that take place during rush hour.

Of those that admitted to zoning out, almost 60% said they are normally thinking about work when it happens.

A further 22% said that their partner or family was dominating their thoughts as junctions, roundabouts and traffic lights passed them by.

And it seems women are bigger culprits than men, accounting for 64% of the total. Gavin Jones, risk management specialist at Masterlease, said: ‘It seems most people have experienced it – that feeling when you suddenly realise you can’t remember the previous five minutes of your journey.

‘They say that variety is the spice of life and it seems that driving the same route day-in, day out plays a huge part in making people’s thoughts drift away from the road.

The vast majority zone out on their way to work, though 84% of people never zone out on journeys that are new to them. This shows that it is familiarity with the daily slog into work that causes people to drift off.

Jones added: ‘Most of the driving amnesia sufferers claimed they were still in control of the vehicle when their mind was elsewhere, but the accident statistics suggest otherwise.’

Overcome driver amnesia

  • Try different routes to and from home.
  • On days when it is possible, take the train or bus to work.
  • Keep the temperature of the car cool, even in cold weather – an overheated vehicle can breed lethargy.
  • Try different radio stations to the one you are used to.
  • Analyse the journey in your head – treat it like a cerebral game in terms of what exactly you can see ahead and behind you, which will help second-guess danger.