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Car hire company warns of new driving danger from video iPods

Carrentals.co.uk customer poll reports growing concern over drivers
watching videos on the roads.


  * Nearly 1 in 3 drivers have seen another driver watching a video on an
iPod or DVD player while driving
  * 1 in 5 drivers know of accidents/dangerous driving caused by a driver
watching a video

8 September 2009 – iPod videos are creating a new danger on Britain’s
roads according to car hire comparator Carrentals.co.uk, which is warning
drivers not to be tempted to watch video downloads while driving.

In a recent customer poll the company found that nearly 1 in 3 drivers had
seen another driver watching a video on an iPod or DVD player while driving
on the UK’s roads and motorways, underlining the increasing use of
portable technology in cars.

The poll also found that 1 in 5 drivers know of an accident or dangerous
driving caused by car and lorry drivers watching a video, highlighting the
dangers of watching films, TV programmes and video podcasts on the roads.

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Gareth Robinson, managing director of Carrentals.co.uk, says: “While
everyone knows about the dangers of drink driving, or even driving while
trying to drink hot coffee, the emergence of the iPod video has created a
new set of dangers for road users.  Our poll highlights the growing
severity of the problem, and more needs to be done to help educate drivers
and other road users about the dangers posed.

“We’ve heard reports of drivers being seen with an iPod held in a hands
free kit for ease of watching, or even being taped to a steering wheel.
The dangers this poses to road users speak for themselves.  Any driver not
fully concentrating on the road is a liability, and with the popularity of
the latest iPods it is important that the issue is taken seriously.”

Carrentals.co.uk was voted Best Car Hire Website in the 2008 Travolution
awards, and compares prices from over 35 leading rental providers including
Alamo, Budget, Holiday Autos, and Thrifty.

For more information visit www.Carrentals.co.uk