Driving Behaviour

Recent research into driver behaviour has, regrettably, revealed that schemes to encourage drivers on UK roads not to drive having had an alcoholic drink are not succeeding.

In 2011, six per cent of drivers owned up to getting in their cars after having alcohol and driving their vehicles with the same percentage of people admitting that, having had a drink the night before, they got into their car the following morning to drive it.

Sainsbury’s Car Insurance has this year carried out a survey showing that the above figures remain the same.

Driver behaviour may impact on car insurance premiums

Using a hand-held mobile phone in this way whilst driving a vehicle is illegal.

Furthermore, eighteen per cent of drivers, the same figure as previously, admit to driving whilst feeling tired.

However, the survey did reveal a couple of positive changes – in 2011 nineteen per cent of motorists admitted to breaking the speed limit by a minimum of 10 mph but in 2012 this figure had reduced to seventeen per cent. In 2011 six per cent of drivers owned up to using their hand held mobile phones whilst driving but this had reduced by one per cent to five per cent in 2012.

Unfortunately, those people sending texts whilst driving, has gone up from four per cent in 2011 to five per cent in 2012.

The survey was really quite detailed as it even covered the usage of unsuitable footwear such as flip-flops whilst driving with the figure remaining the same at twelve per cent.

Some other reassuring figures were the number of people who did not bother wearing seat belts whilst driving had dropped from five per cent in 2011 to three per cent in 2012 and tailgaters had reduced from five per cent in 2011 to four per cent in 2012.

The largest bad habit was drivers drinking and eating at the wheel with twenty seven per cent of motorists saying they did so.

Some ladies, in a rush to get to work, chose to put their make up on whilst driving – three per cent of them. Two per cent of motorists admitted to driving without putting on their glasses or inserting contact lenses when they should have done.

Ben Tyte, who is the head of Sainsbury’s Car Insurance, commented: “It’s encouraging to see that driver behaviour on our roads remains, on the whole, at a consistent level and is improving in some areas. We’re pleased to see a reduction in excessive speeding, as this is the cause of so many accidents on our roads.”

If only more people would improve their driving behaviour this may impact positively on car insurance premiums.