Although most Australian drivers try their best to abide by the road rules, new data has revealed the most common bad driving habits that Aussies can't shake.
In a recent survey conducted by AAMI Insurance, which polled more than 1000 local drivers, approximately nine in 10 Australian drivers admitted to driving while distracted.
Concerningly, 38 per cent of respondents admitted they had been involved in an accident (or had a near miss) due to losing attention, with one in four drivers stating they were “preoccupied” by a smartphone or smart watch while driving.
Additionally, 60 per cent – or two-thirds – of Australians confessed to being distracted by playing with their music or GPS, while a whopping 65 per cent admitted to eating or drinking a non-alcoholic drink behind the wheel – which is technically against the rules.
The survey also found 40 per cent of motorists were preoccupied by other road users, including accidents and even pedestrians.
Despite less than half of the respondents admitting to gawking at an accident, AAMI motor prevention manager Mary Kennedy said more than 60 per cent blamed other drivers for the same behaviour.
“This shows we tend to be biased towards our own behaviours, believing we are safer drivers compared to others,” Kennedy said.
“Australian drivers view their own behaviour behind the wheel through rose-tinted glasses."
Despite knowing they're in the wrong, the report found almost a quarter of participants said they refused to change their bad behaviour unless they had a personal experience with road trauma.
According to a report commissioned by the Australian Automobile Association – the national industry body – distracted driving accounts for approximately 16 per cent of serious road crashes.
“Distracted driving is as serious a problem on Australian roads as drink driving. It impairs reaction time (including braking and swerving) and diminishes the ability to maintain speed and lane position,” the report concluded.
However, it’s not just distracted driving that should be a cause for concern, as motorists also admitted to other dangerous driving habits.
A survey of more than 1000 Australian motorists by Compare the Market found speeding was the second-most cited behaviour (24 per cent) behind eating and drinking while driving (27 per cent).
Conversely, approximately 18 per cent of participants admitted to driving under the speed limit, while 13 per cent of respondents confessed to having road rage.
A whopping 61 per cent of Australians surveyed said they were victims of road rage in the form of another driver’s use of angry gestures (27 per cent), tailgating (25.6 per cent), as well as yelling and shouting (20.3 per cent).
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
