In tests an experienced driving instructor travelled the same route 28 times over the course of a month – similar to a normal commute.
The more often he made the 25 minute journey, the less he looked at the road ahead and the more he was distracted by sights off the road.
In the last five drives the amount of time spent looking at the road ahead decreased by almost a quarter (22 per cent) compared to the first five drives. Similarly the time spent looking off road increased by almost a fifth (19 per cent).
The study by Nottingham Trent University offers a pointer to why more accidents tend to occur near drivers’ homes.
Another factor is that just over half of all car journeys are less than five miles.
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Lead researcher Angie Young, a psychologist in Nottingham Trent University’s School of Social Sciences, said: “The majority of journeys by car take place on familiar roads, with many being driven, time and time again.
“Our findings show that roadway familiarity appears to shift the driver’s attention away from the road to areas irrelevant to driving safety, such as scenery, trees and houses.
“This may reflect a decrease in arousal due to the repetitive nature of the task, with a related desire to look for new stimuli to redress the balance.
“What is interesting is that we get these changes even with a really experienced driver, who knew they were under observation, and across several road types.
“The sudden appearance of a hazard is more problematic if the driver is not looking at the road, and we’d ask all motorists who undertake repetitive journeys to take extra care.”
RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said the study highlighted the risks of becoming complacent during short trips – especially with roads getting busier.
He said: “Many of us will routinely make a journey from A to B and barely remember doing so.
“The risk is that even as we become more comfortable with our daily trips the number of hazards we are likely to encounter as soon as we turn out of the gate is on the rise, as roads get busier.
“After World War II there were two million cars in Britain. Today there are more than 30 million.
“In 2016, failing to look properly was a factor in at least 397 fatal accidents.”
The study in Traffic Psychology and Behaviour involved the driving instructor using two types of suburban roads, dual and multi-lane carriageways and a country road.
David Crundall, Professor of Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, said: “The amount of time spent looking off-road increased across all five road sections, whilst route familiarity led to less time looking at the road ahead in four out of the five sections.
“Studies of crash location often show a spike for accidents occurring close to the driver’s home, even when exposure is controlled for. The current results help us to understand why this might happen.”