If you live in Canberra, you’re probably a terrible driver
New study reveals devastating reality for half a million Aussie drivers amid shocking findingsA new study has revealed some ugly truths about the dangerous habits of Australian drivers and you might be shocked to find out who’s at the core of the poor behaviour.
Spoiler alert: it’s not just drivers from the ACT that admit to dabbling in dangerous activities on road.
Audi and Volkswagen drivers are also on notice, while females are either more honest about their bad driving habits or are simply more likely to break rules on road, compared to males.
And which gender is more likely to get frisky behind the wheel?
iSelect quizzed more than 3000 Australian drivers to uncover the most common dangerous driving habits displayed Down Under and speeding was by far the most frequent offence, with more than 41 per cent of respondents admitting to the crime.
Broken down further, Gen Z (18 to 24 year olds) were the most likely age group to drive dangerously and be more distracted by their phones, with 9.2 per cent admitting to taking selfies or filming themselves while driving.
More than a quarter of them also admitted to taking a phone call (without handsfree) whilst driving.
It’s bad news for those in Australia’s capital, with almost 70 per cent saying they’ve engaged in some form of dangerous driving activity.
It’s also the state/territory with the highest number of admissions in the most common categories: speeding (57%), driving while tired or drowsy (25%) and taking a phone call without handsfree (20.6%).
Queensland and Victoria were second and third for bad driving behaviours, while Tasmania is home to the safest drivers, according to the study.
Naturally, the most populous states of NSW and Victoria are also the worst for road rage and both states had the highest number of drivers admitting to having used social media while driving.
Meanwhile, Audi drivers were found to take the most risks behind the wheel, while those speeding will likely be driving a Volkswagen and Subaru.
Interestingly, Mitsubishi drivers were most likely to run a red light or stop sign, while drivers of MG and Honda vehicles were found to be the least likely to take risks.
And, when it comes to the differences between men and women, there was a surprising trend.
While men were more likely to engage in higher-risk behaviours such as driving without a seat belt, racing other drivers, and engaging in physical intimacy behind the wheel, females were found more likely to carry out the majority of the most common dangerous driving habits.
But the biggest difference between men and women, says iSelect, is that 17 per cent of women are more likely to be distracted by other passengers, something it says could come down to more females than males, driving children around.
Most common dangerous driving habit | Overall |
Driven over the speed limit | 41.2% |
Driven while extremely tired or drowsy | 19.4% |
Taken a phone call (without hands-free) | 15.4% |
Expressed road rage (yelling or honking at other drivers, tailgating) | 14.3% |
Messaged or emailed someone on a device | 13.7% |
Been distracted by other passengers | 13.1% |
Used social media | 7.7% |
Taken pictures and videos of other people or things outside the vehicle | 7.1% |
Ran a red light or stop sign | 6.7% |
Ignored dashboard warning signs/lights | 6.6% |
Driven with my knees | 5.5% |
Driven while over the legal limit of drugs and/or alcohol | 5.1% |
Applied makeup | 3.9% |
Watched videos on a device | 3.8% |
Video called someone on a device | 3.7% |
Taken selfies or filmed myself behind the wheel | 3.5% |
You can see the full results at iSelect.com.au.
Related: Deadly distractions: Shocking habits behind the wheel revealed
Related: Kids are more distracting than mobile phones when driving
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