Distracting Driving Habits Millennials Engage In Behind The Wheel

Budget Direct Insurance uncovers the driving habits of Millennials in Australia

From eating behind the wheel to texting and driving over the speed limit, these are some of the bad driving habits Millennials admit to doing in new research from Budget Direct.  

The research showed that while most Aussie drivers aged 18 years and over rated themselves as safe drivers, the survey identified that Millennials aged 18–34 frequently engage in bad (and often illegal) habits behind the wheel, with 61% guilty of using vanity/rear-view mirrors while driving to check themselves out.

Texting, being active on social media and eating while driving, were found to be common bad habits among this group, with 45% admitting they have done one of these activities at least once in the past week.

Despite this behaviour while driving, 80% of Millennials perceive themselves as generally good drivers, stating they have not incurred any demerit points in the past year.

Avoiding distractions in the car while driving and being alert of your surroundings and other drivers could help avoid unnecessary accidents.

Sean McBride, General Manager Motor Claims for Budget Direct says —

“It’s tempting to try and use our time in the car as an opportunity to get a few things done such as, updating social media pages, responding to text messages, or even eating, but these are all habits that are not only illegal but can affect your concentration on the road, putting yourself and other drivers at risk.”

The Budget Direct research revealed:

• Checking blind spots: 85% of Millennials consider themselves to be safe drivers, yet 15% admitted to being bad drivers having dented another person’s car whilst parking in the past year.
• Driving over the speed limit: Despite Millennials being perceived as the worst drivers, 86% have not been fined for speeding in the past year.
• Driving points deducted in the last year: — One in five Millennials’ stated they received demerit points in the last year, leaving 80% with all their points.
• Caution at stop signs: Three quarters (77%) of Millennials claim they come to a complete stop at stop signs, with 18% admitting to only stopping if there are other cars around and 5% admitting to rarely coming to a complete stop.  

To find out more information about Budget Direct’s Car Insurance and more tips on road safety visit: https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/car-insurance.html

Notes to editors

This survey was conducted by Budget Direct in June 2019. The sample comprises 1,000 car drivers aged 18 plus and distributed throughout Australia.  

 To publish this media release or extract the data for publishing, please include a backlink to: https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/car-insurance.html.