12 October 2023 | See disclaimer
Using a mobile phone while driving is a risky move, not only for yourself but for everyone else around you.
We surveyed 1,000 Australians aged 18 and over about distracted driving to better understand behaviours and attitudes across the country.
We also compared these results to our Budget Direct Using a Mobile Phone While Driving: Australian Survey 2020 to understand trends from 2018 and 2020 when similar surveys were conducted.
For an insight into how Australians behave on the road and what the mobile phone rules are, check out our survey results below.
Quick Stats
Almost one in five Australian respondents felt confident using their mobile phone while driving.
The majority of respondents said tougher penalties would be the most effective way to deter people from texting and driving.
The percentage of respondents who said no mobile phone use is acceptable when the phone is out of its cradle while driving has almost doubled since 2020.
Texting and Driving
Texting and driving is one of the easiest ways to distract yourself on the road.
When it comes to risky driving behaviours, driving while using your phone can be as dangerous as driving drunk. On average in Queensland, 29 people are killed and more than 1,200 are seriously injured each year due to distracted driving. [1]
Glancing away from the road for just two seconds at 60 km/h means you’re effectively driving blind for 33 metres. [2]
To stay focussed and safe on the road when you have a hand-held mobile phone, you can:
Put your phone away. Out of sight, out of mind.
Make any calls and set up your GPS and playlist before you leave. Make sure you don’t need to update any settings while you’re on the road.
Pull over and park in a safe spot if you need to make a call or send a message.
Turn on the ‘Do Not Disturb’ function when you’re driving to avoid being tempted by incoming notifications.
Fines for Using Phone While Driving
In every state and territory in Australia, drivers can have demerit points added to their traffic record and be fined for using a mobile phone illegally while driving.
According to the Australian Road Rules, if a car is moving or stationary but not parked, for instance in standstill traffic or at traffic lights, a driver can’t:
- Touch their phone
- Look at the screen of someone else’s phone
- Rest their phone on their body, clothes or an item on their lap [3]
The only time you can touch your phone is if it's mounted in a holder attached to the car or if it can be operated wirelessly in a hands-free mode to:
- Initiate, accept or reject phone calls (not including a video message)
- Play audio
- Use navigation tools
- Use driver's aid functions such as a vehicle camera or safety function [3]
Even if the device is mounted, drivers still aren’t allowed to scroll on their phones or enter any information into their phones other than by using voice control.
The same rules apply to visual display units including navigation and entertainment systems that are built into the car.
If the car is safely stopped and out of the way of traffic, drivers are allowed to use their phones to:
- Make transactions at a drive-through with their digital wallet
- Show their digital licence at a police officer’s request
- Use their phone to enter or exit road-related areas such as a car park [3]
Current Penalties for Using Mobile Phone While Driving on Open Licence
Fine |
Demerit Points |
|
|---|---|---|
Qld [4] |
$1,161 |
4 |
NSW [5] |
$387 ($514 in school zone) |
5 |
Vic [6] |
$555 |
4 |
WA [2] |
$500 to $1,000 |
3 to 4 |
SA [7] |
$639 |
3 |
Tas [8] |
$390 |
3 |
ACT [9] |
$514 to $632 |
3 to 4 |
NT [10] |
$500 |
3 |
Mobile Phone While Driving Survey Results
Do you/would you feel confident driving while using your phone?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
Almost one in five Australians who were surveyed said they would feel confident driving while using their mobile phone.
The percentage of respondents who said they could confidently drive while using their mobile phone has continued to increase since our findings in 2018 and again in 2020. [11]
Respondents aged 58 to 75 were the least confident age group to use their phones while driving.
Meanwhile, 29.4% of respondents aged 28 to 37 said they could confidently drive while using their phones, which was above the Australian average.
Those in New South Wales who were surveyed were the most likely to say they felt confident driving while using their mobile phone. While those in the ACT and South Australia were the least likely to feel confident driving while using their phones.
What’s the main way you’ve used your mobile phone while driving in the past two weeks?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
Almost three-quarters of respondents said they hadn’t used their mobile phone while driving in the past two weeks.
Changing a song on a playlist and checking their phone while stopped at traffic lights were the two most common ways those who were surveyed said they had used their mobile phone while driving recently.
More than a quarter of respondents aged 18 to 37 said they mostly used their mobile phone to change a song on a playlist.
Meanwhile, respondents in Queensland and South Australia were the most likely to not use their phones while driving in the past two weeks.
What’s the main reason you used your phone while driving in the past two weeks?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
Of those who had used their mobile phone while driving in the past two weeks, only 14.4% said the main reason was because they felt safe and capable of doing so.
Male respondents were more likely than female respondents to say they felt safe and capable of using their phones while driving, according to 17.9% of men compared to 11.6% of women.
Meanwhile, only half of the respondents aged 18 to 27 said they hadn’t used their phone while driving in the past two weeks, compared to more than 90% of respondents aged 58 to 75.
Almost a quarter of those surveyed aged 18 to 27 said they used it because they felt safe to do so, while one in ten used it out of habit and one in ten used it due to an emergency.
In your opinion, which of these scenarios is the most acceptable - with the phone out of its cradle?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
Almost three-quarters of respondents said they believed no mobile phone use is acceptable when the phone is out of its cradle.
This has almost doubled since our survey in 2020 found just 38.3% of respondents said the same.
In the three years to 2023, respondents who said they believed responding to a text while driving at 40 km/h was the most acceptable way to use a phone out of its cradle dropped from 39.1% to 0.6%. [11]
In your opinion, which of these scenarios is the most acceptable - with the phone in its cradle?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
In 2023, 15.6% of respondents believed checking their phone at a traffic light was the most acceptable way to use a phone while in its cradle, while 15.8% said it would be changing a song.
In the ACT, almost a third of those who were surveyed said they believed checking a phone while driving at 40 km/h was the most acceptable way to use the phone while in its cradle.
This was the biggest percentage of respondents of all states and territories to have this response.
In your opinion, which of these is most likely to result in a road fatality?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
One-third of respondents said texting and driving was the most likely factor to result in a road fatality.
Meanwhile, an increasing number of respondents in 2023 said they believed drink driving was the most likely factor to result in a road fatality, according to 40.9% of respondents, up from 26% in 2020. [11]
Older respondents aged 58 to 75 were around twice as likely as younger respondents aged 18 to 27 to say that texting and driving was the most likely factor to result in a road fatality.
Research has found that a driver’s reaction time when distracted is comparable to a drunk driver with a blood alcohol reading between 0.07 and 0.107. [12]
In your opinion, what would be the most effective way of deterring people from texting while driving?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
Tougher penalties would be the most effective deterrent for people texting and driving, according to the majority of respondents.
Mobile-detection cameras were the second most common response from those surveyed with 25.2% saying this would be the most effective way to stop people from texting and driving.
Respondents in the ACT were the only state or territory to say mobile-detection cameras would be more effective than tougher penalties to deter texting and driving.
Meanwhile, those who were surveyed in Queensland were the most likely to say tougher penalties would deter people from texting and driving.
Interestingly, Queensland already has the toughest penalties of all the states and territories in the country with the fine exceeding $1,000 for texting and driving. [4]
Of these deterrents, which one would be most likely to stop you from texting while driving?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
Since 2020, the percentage of respondents who said nothing would stop them from using their phone while driving has dropped from 27.1% to 2.5%.
Meanwhile, in the three years to 2023, the percentage of respondents who said a fine of $1,000 or more would stop them from texting and driving has more than doubled to 60.7% up from 28.1% in 2020. [11]
This increase could be linked to the fact that Queensland became the first state in 2020 to implement a four-figure fine for mobile phone use while driving. [13]
In your opinion, should it be legal for customers to pay for food at a drive-thru using their mobile phone?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
More than half of those who were surveyed said they believed it should be legal for customers to pay for food at a drive-through by using their mobile phones.
This was up from the results in 2020 when just 41.9% said it should be legal to pay for food in a drive-through with a phone compared to 36.9% who said it should only be legal if the car is completely turned off. [11]
Key Takeaways
Young Drivers Potentially Riskier
The survey found that younger respondents in the 18 to 37 age range were more likely to be more comfortable driving with their phones than older drivers who were surveyed.
The majority of respondents aged 18 to 37 who said they used their phone in the past two weeks, said it was because they felt safe and capable of doing so.
However, although the survey results found that their phone use while driving was higher than older respondents, more than half of the younger group of respondents agreed that no phone use was acceptable in the car whether your phone is in or out of the cradle.
Big Fines, Big Deterrent
The majority of respondents said that introducing tougher penalties would be the most effective deterrent for people texting and driving.
In the three years to 2023, the percentage of respondents who said a fine exceeding $1,000 would stop them from texting and driving has more than doubled. [11]
Those who were surveyed in Queensland were the most likely state or territory in Australia to say that tougher penalties for mobile phone laws would be the most effective deterrent for people texting and driving.
This could be linked to the fact that Queensland's mobile phone laws are the only ones to have a fine exceeding $1,000 if caught using your phone while driving. [4]
More Understanding of the Danger of Texting and Driving
The number of respondents who said that texting and driving was the most likely factor to result in a road fatality has increased in the three years since 2020. [11]
One-third of respondents said this was the most dangerous driving behaviour, while 40.9% said it was drink driving.
Older respondents were around twice as likely as younger respondents to say texting and driving was the most likely risky driving behaviour to end in a fatality.
When it comes to road safety, research has found that distracted driving can be as dangerous as drink driving due to the increased crash risk. Road users are 10 times more likely to crash if they are texting, browsing or emailing while driving. [14]
