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Texting, eating, watching movies: Australian drivers reveal their dirty habits

Queenslanders are the most distracted drivers in Australia, with two-thirds admitting they engage in dangerous behaviours behind the wheel.


That's a contrast with New South Wales, where 46 per cent of motorists claim they've never done anything risky on the road.

The latest Finder Safe Driving Report reveals 11 million motorists engage in risky or dangerous behaviours while driving, with 20 per cent of the 1800 people surveyed admitting they've answered a call or text on their phone.

In a similar vein, a whopping 44 per cent of people say they've eaten takeaway food on the move. Two per cent of drivers even admitted to watching a movie behind the wheel.

More than being horrifying to read about, distracted driving is incredibly dangerous. According to the Victorian Traffic Accident Commission (TAC) glancing at a mobile phone takes around two seconds, severely impacting your ability to react if something goes wrong.

Research from the NSW Roads and Maritime Service (RMS) suggests driver distraction is a factor in at least 14 per cent of accidents, while it's directly linked to 10 per cent of road fatalities.

State governments have attempted to combat Australia's phone use epidemic with strict penalties for those caught touching their devices in the car.

Fines range from $250 and three demerit points in the Northern Territory for drivers caught using their phones, to $548 and four demerits in the Australian Capital Territory.

Despite these efforts and a growing focus on stopping speeding drivers, the Australia road toll was sitting on 635 deaths to the end of June, up 13.8 per cent on the same point in 2018.

Given its focus on insurance, Finder pulled the figures on driver distraction back to their impact on the insurance market.

"If you’re deemed to have been driving recklessly or engaging in risky behaviour behind the wheel and you are in an accident, you may not be able to claim the damage on your insurance," Taylor Blackburn, insurance expert at Finder.com.au said.

"Comprehensive car insurance also won’t cover damage that’s been caused by illegal activities such as texting and driving."

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