Dashboard clutter danger revealed

09/08/11

By Adam Blaxhall

People who regularly drive as part of their job are putting themselves in danger by allowing clutter to accumulate on the dashboard.

A survey by windscreen repair firm Autoglass found that a third of van drivers and a similar amount of truck drivers (34 per cent) have nearly been involved in a collision because their vision was partially blocked by dashboard junk.

Some of the rubbish recorded in the poll includes fast-food packages, kept by more than one in three van drivers, and newspapers. As many as 24 per cent even said they allowed cuddly toys to obscure their vision.

But it's not surprising that such a state of affairs has arisen, as 10 per cent 10 van drivers and 23 per cent of lorry drivers said they never tidy the mess off their dash.

Autoglass managing director Matthew Maycock said: "While the classic white van man stereotype is now outdated, it is clear from our latest survey that drivers spending long hours on the road mustn't let their litter-hoarding habits put their own or other road users' lives at risk.

"Vehicle owners should regularly clear their dashboards of clutter to ensure they have maximum visibility while on the roads."