Increased road congestion makes half of Aussie drivers feel less safe
A new report has revealed more than half of Australian motorists in the major capital cities feel less safe while travelling on the roads because of increased traffic congestion.Comparison website comparethemarket surveyed 1110 drivers to gauge how safe they felt on Australian roads and how traffic has affected their daily commute.
94 per cent of drivers surveyed said that they have seen an increase in traffic in their city over the last two years, with 54 per cent saying they felt less safe on the roads as a consequence.
In a city-by-city breakdown, Melbourne rated among the worst for drivers, with 61 per cent of respondents now feeling less safe on the roads. This could potentially be due to the major infrastructure projects currently underway in the CBD which have seen major delays, road closures and diversions put in place. Brisbane drivers followed with 57 per cent experiencing an increase in traffic and a feeling of uneasiness on their commute. Sydney drivers were closely behind on 56 per cent.
Drivers were also asked about what they thought the main cause of the increased traffic on the roads was from. Over half said population growth and new housing was to blame while 18 per cent said it was due to more people choosing to drive because of poor public transport options.
Rod Attrill from comparethemarket.com.au says that it was concerning to see from the report how much traffic congestion made drivers unsafe on the roads, “This could impact their confidence levels behind the wheel and potentially increase their chances of an accident. Traffic congestion is an inevitable part of driving in Australia, and research suggests congestion problems on our roads will only continue to get worse, with commuters spending an average of 4.5 hours a week commuting.”
This isn't the first time in 2019 that increased commute times has been discussed, with the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey suggesting that on average, workers in Australian cities now spend more than an hour in traffic each and every day.
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