/editorial/articleLeadwide-an-alarming-number-of-drivers-have-admitted-to-texgj6idl.jpg)
Australian motorists have admitted to driving with their eyes closed, shaving behind the wheel and chasing spiders in a new survey of road behaviour.
A survey of 1800 Australian drivers commissioned by insurance broker Finder.com.au found that 70 per cent of drivers engaged in potentially dangerous activities.
The survey did not look at reckless driving behaviour such as speeding or drifting. Instead, it asked drivers whether they had engaged in activities that distract them while driving.
Many drivers admitted to eating takeaway food, sending text messages and holding phones to their ear while driving. Parents of young children were among those most likely to text-and-drive, while one in seven admitted to driving with their knees.
/editorial/articleLeadwide-an-alarming-number-of-drivers-have-admitted-to-texgwjoyb.jpg)
Western Australian drivers were the most risky, while South Australian drivers admitted to fewer faults at the wheel.
Police fined around 38,000 drivers for texting in NSW last year.
Top 10 dangerous activities Australian drivers admit to:
1 - Eaten takeaway – 47 per cent
2 - Sent a text message – 28 per cent
3 - Answered a call directly to their ear – 27 per cent
4 – Smoked – 20 per cent
5 - Reached back to deal with a child – 19 per cent
6 - Driven with knees – 14 per cent
7 – Microslept – 9 per cent
8 - Applied makeup – 8 per cent
9 - Changed clothes – 7 per cent
10 – Reading – 3 per cent
/vehicles/redbook/FIAT08RD.jpg)
4 Comments
Currently in Europe. Hardly see any drivers on their phone especially on the Freeways. Reason is the speed limits here are a lot higher than Australia and you actually need to pay attention on the road. Typically freeway speeds are 130km/h with most driver travelling between 150-160km/ h. There doesn't seem to be a massive blitz on speed. Amazingly guess what... speed doesnt kill. Having travelled over 10,000km in the last 2 months I haven't seen any serious accident. But I can tell you with 100% certainty you definitely need to pay attention when driving at those speeds. That means when my phone rings or beeps I am not even remotely tempted to look at it. Im actually driving and enjoying it as well. Australian government and police fail to realise that by being so restrictive on speeds most drivers are bored and find other distractions without even intending to do so. Speeds limits should be based on the 86th percentile rule as they once were. I strongly believe this will give drivers back some control and make them more involved in the task at hand....driving.
loved the cover photo... flip-phone in an American car. Great relevance.
Myopia. Nicely spotted... but relevant nonetheless. I hope you feel better for the spray though. outside of that. Fast food/takeaway? Really? Changing ones clothes , texting, the kids in the back, knee-steering and reading sure but smashing a cheeseburger into one's mouth is dangerous? Perhaps in terms of cardiac health, but I would not consider that as dangerous driving. I'd be more concerned with poorly tested road drivers who attain their licences after an NRMA re-test, like my late mother did (of course, given she would continue to pay insurance premiums through them, there is no conflict of interest there, huh?). She should never have been on the road her last ten years of 'driving'. And eating a burger is dangerous - give me strength.
Peter Hatfield can you provide some credible studies to back your claims. especially regarding Germany. Also NT had no fatalities during the trial period with no Speed limits. You have a very biased opinion and are using selective data to misrepresent the danger of speed. You and many other academics seem to to be pushing for lower speed limits. Have you personally driven on Germany's Autobahn roads? Driving in Germany is a sheer pleasure. No tailgating, no aggressive driving, no holding up traffic on the express lane of the freeway. If you have driven in Germany and have felt unsafe then you must be an Australian driver who requires a considerable amount of training because by European standards you probably shouldn't hold a licence. Australian drivers are probably the worst drivers in the world. Not due to lack of ability... but due to the extreme nanny state laws the continuously seek to dumb people down. But what can you expect when the driving laws are made by the insurance companies. eg VicRoads & TAC