Just over half of motorists (54%) admitted to eating/drinking while driving, topping the list of bad habits recorded by them. This was followed by driving over the speed limit (45%), not letting other drivers out at junctions (25%), with a further 25% admitting to letting the fuel tank run too low. The latest consumer research conducted by iReach Insights on behalf of Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC (Aviva) of 1,000 adults across the country also found that only 14% of drivers claimed to having no bad driving habits.
The Aviva survey found:
- Other bad habits recorded include forgetting to indicate (25%), resting your foot on the clutch (24%), talking/texting on the phone (17%), looking up directions on the phone (16%), and road rage (13%)
- Men are more likely to drive over the speed limit (53%) than women at 37%
- Some 30% of men admit to not letting people out at junctions compared to 19% of women
- More women admitted to letting the fuel tank run too low at 28% v’s men at 22% and to forgetting to indicate at 27% v’s men at 22%
- Resting your foot on the clutch was more evident amongst women respondents at 31%, with only 17% of men claiming to do this
The survey also sought to get an insight into what are the biggest stress factors experienced by motorists when driving. Top of the list was poor driving behaviour by other motorists at 29% followed by road rage and aggressive driving (16%) and sitting in traffic (15%). Other stress factors included driving in poor weather conditions (8%), parking in narrow spaces in public car parks (6%) and people parking in family/disabled parking spots when they shouldn’t (6%).
- Slightly more women (30%) than men (27%) listed poor driving behaviour as cause of stress when driving
- More men (21%) registered road rage/aggressive behaviour than women at 11% and sitting in traffic (18%) v’s women at 12%
Commenting on the survey findings Billy Shannon, Aviva said: “Despite the fact that road traffic remains below 2019 levels according to a Central Statistics Office (CSO) report issued on 15 August last, provisional figures from An Garda Siochana say that 99 people lost their lives on our roads up to 8 August this year. This figure does not simply represent a statistic but highlights that almost 100 families have had their lives changed forever following the unexpected death of loved ones in tragic circumstances.
These tragic deaths only serve to reinforce how vulnerable we are when driving. They also highlight that we should be concerned at the extent to which motorists are claiming bad habits, with over half of those surveyed claiming to be eating/drinking when driving and almost half admitting to driving over the speed limit. There is also evidence of a corollary between the bad habits that respondents to the survey claimed to have alongside the aspects of driving that also represent the greatest stress factors for them, i.e., poor driving behaviour, road rage or aggressive behaviour – all of which may increase the risks of accidents on our roads.
Billy Shannon
“While we cannot control the behaviour of others on our roads, we can control how we behave. Driving within the speed limits while taking into account weather conditions and having respect for other road users may slow us down somewhat but will ultimately help us get to our destination safely”, concluded Billy Shannon.