Australians are misbehaving behind the wheel in alarming numbers. New research from the comparison website Finder has revealed Australian drivers’ shocking and dangerous habits. The survey of about 1000 revealed that Australian drivers eat while driving, text, change clothes, read books, and even shave. Most of these acts could be interpreted by authorities as not having proper vehicle control, resulting in a huge fine and the loss of demerit points in many states. Eating food while driving was the most common bad habit, with about six out of ten drivers admitting to this poor behavior.
Fines can range from $100 and one demerit point to as much as $2500 and three points, depending on your state. Most states average a fine of several hundred dollars and the loss of several demerit points. For example, in NSW, drivers could be slugged $464 and three points. Two out of every 100 drivers admitted to reading a book or newspaper while driving, and one percent said they had shaved while causing it. Almost one in ten drivers answered calls by bringing the phone to their ear, and 13 percent said they had manually texted while driving. That’s despite years of government campaigns to educate road users about the dangers of using mobile phones while driving.
These offenses carry huge fines and the loss of demerit points in all states. During double-demerit campaigns, they were using a phone while driving can almost wipe out a driver’s license in one go. The center for Road Safety says that at 60km/h if you look at your phone for just two seconds, you travel 33 meters without your eyes on the road. Most new cars for the past decade have come with Bluetooth technology that allows drivers to answer phone calls hands-free. Finder car insurance specialist, Taylor Blackburn, says drivers must keep all distractions out of reach.
“With the internet in their pockets, people today are bombarded with notifications – whether from email, text messaging, or social media – anywhere they go.” “Anything that makes it difficult to focus on the road should be avoided,” he said. Nearly every new car sold today has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which mirrors your smartphone on the central display and allows you to use voice commands via Siri and Google Assistant. Five percent of drivers said they had applied makeup or changed clothes while driving. Dealing with kids in the back seat was also an issue, with one in 10 parents admitting to doing this. Australians also admitted to replying to emails and checking social media. But it wasn’t all bad news. About 40 percent of respondents said they never indulged in these lousy driving behaviors.
1 Comment