Businesses that rely on a fleet of predominantly young drivers may pose a bigger risk than firms with an older workforce after research suggested millennials are the most dangerous cohort on the roads.
The Safe Driving Report from comparison site Finder.com.au showed that millennials were the most likely to admit they’d participated in risky behaviour behind the wheel.
In fact, 78% of millennials said they’d behaved recklessly while driving on Australian roads – a significant jump from the overall figure of 62%. By comparison, baby boomers were found to be the safest drivers, with 59% claiming they never engaged in risk behaviour while in control of a car.
The most common potentially dangerous activities were eating takeaways, followed by driving in thongs and then sending text messages. Smoking and answering phones without a handheld device were also common behaviours, while 9% of motorists admitted to driving with their knees.
“It’s concerning that so many Australians admit to risking their lives and those of others by engaging in these dangerous behaviours on the road,” said Bessie Hassan, Finder’s car insurance expert. “While eating takeaway or reaching into the back seat may seem harmless, the reality is that all distractions can be dangerous.”
While some of the statistics were concerning, Hassan also said some statistics had fallen since last year’s report.
“It’s promising that the number of people admitting to texting and calling while driving has decreased since last year’s report, which indicates that Australians are listening to the statistics on how deadly this can be,” she said.
“Many of us are probably guilty of doing at least one of these before, but we shouldn’t be sacrificing our safety for convenience.”
The report also revealed that NSW and South Australian drivers had the safest driving habits, while Victoria and Western Australia had the riskiest drivers with 64% admitting to engaging in dangerous behaviour.
