RAC General Manager Corporate Affairs, Will Golsby, said the most recent Community Attitudes Survey highlighted a significant disconnect between driver attitudes and behaviours, with more than 90 per cent of respondents saying mobile phone use is the riskiest behaviour on the road despite many continuing to use their phone while driving.
“The Community Attitudes Survey of almost 1600 people found one in three respondents admitted reading text messages while driving and one in five admitted sending text messages, even though they know it is dangerous,” Mr Golsby said.
“Tragically, 27 people were killed on Wheatbelt roads last year compared to 14 the year before, with one person dying on local roads every two weeks.
“Reading a text for just five seconds while travelling at 100 kilometres an hour is the same as driving blindfolded for 138 metres, which is almost the length of the MCG.
“No text message or phone call is worth a life.”
Twenty-one per cent of responders in the Wheatbelt admitted answering their phone without hands-free, 18 per cent admitted to making a phone call without hands-free and eight per cent admitted reading a message on Facebook or Twitter while driving.
“There is overwhelming evidence that mobile phone use is a real danger on the roads,” Mr Golsby said.
“People using mobile phones pose a danger to themselves, their passengers and other road users.
“The message is clear – every phone call or text message can wait. Remove all distractions before you get behind the wheel. It’s not worth it.”
The Community Attitudes Survey gauges the public’s response to road safety issues and concerns.
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