DORSET Police has joined forces with academics in a bid to warn of the dangers of driving while distracted.

Officers have enlisted the help of scientists from Warwick University’s Department of Psychology to encourage people to be more attentive drivers on the roads.

PhD student Daniel Gunnell is collecting information from people attending Dorset Police’s driver awareness courses after committing offences.

He hopes the information will help him develop tools to urge people to take more care when behind the wheel.

“It’s staggering that so many accidents are caused by simply not paying enough attention when on the road,” he said.

“We want to make people think about the way they drive as most people are not aware of how dangerous driving while distracted can be.”

The Daily Echo recently exposed the number of dangerous distractions affecting drivers on the A338 Spur Road.

Photographs were taken of drivers on mobile phones, with both hands off the wheel to light a cigarette, reading maps, removing jackets and cleaning glasses as they drove along the busy dual carriageway.

Mr Gunnell said he hopes his study will make people more aware of how their brain works and stop them overestimating their ability to perceive changes in the world around them.

Laressa Robinson, Driver Education manager at Dorset Police, said: “We are committed to making the roads of Dorset safer and driver distraction is on the four fatal contributing factors to road traffic collisions, along with drink driving, not wearing a seat belt and speeding.

“We look forward to working with the University of Warwick and to receiving the results of their research.”