UK motorists claim to be more law-abiding than drivers in many other countries when it comes to using a mobile phone while driving.
- UK motorists least likely to say that they use a phone, send texts or check social media while driving
- But one in five UK drivers still admit to having used a mobile phone while driving
- New stricter penalties were introduced in the UK in March 2017
UK motorists claim to be more law-abiding than drivers in many other countries when it comes to using a mobile phone while driving, a new international study from Aviva suggests.
The insurance provider compared findings from 13 countries across Europe, North America and Asia, and found that UK drivers* are least likely to say they have ever made a call, sent a text message, or checked social media while in charge of a vehicle, than motorists from any of the other nations surveyed. A total of 10,014 drivers were questioned in Aviva’s latest Consumer Attitudes Survey.
However, one in five UK drivers (20%) said they had made a phone call while driving without using a hands-free kit, something which is now prohibited under UK law. This is compared to a global average of 48%. Drivers in the USA and China were revealed as the motorists most likely to say they had made a call while at the wheel, with 63% and 76% of respondents respectively admitting the misdemeanor.
Thirteen percent of UK drivers said they had sent a text while driving, compared to the global average of 31%, while 7% of UK motorists said they had checked or posted on social media while behind the wheel, lower than the global average of 17%. A summary of the results is below:
| Country | Percentage of motorists who say they had made a call (not hands free) while driving | Percentage of motorists who say they had sent a text / message while driving | Percentage of motorists who say they had checked or posted on social media while driving |
| UK | 20% | 13% | 7% |
| Spain | 35% | 27% | 11% |
| France | 39% | 26% | 8% |
| Canada | 43% | 26% | 11% |
| Ireland | 45% | 26% | 15% |
| Singapore | 46% | 47% | 23% |
| Indonesia | 51% | 53% | 29% |
| Poland | 53% | 18% | 14% |
| Turkey | 53% | 34% | 22% |
| Italy | 59% | 41% | 17% |
| India | 60% | 43% | 41% |
| USA | 63% | 34% | 22% |
| China | 76% | 28% | 11% |
| Global average | 48% | 31% | 17% |
UK motorists were also least likely to say they had taken or uploaded images on social media while driving (4% vs global average of 14%).
The research was carried out between 17 March and 1 May 2017, shortly after stricter penalties were introduced in the UK for using mobile phones while driving. On 1 March 2017, new UK laws were brought in, doubling fines to £200 and six license points for motorists caught using their phones behind the wheel.
Using a mobile phone while driving without a hands-free kit is prohibited in all of the countries in which people were questioned.**
Adam Beckett, Propositions Director for Aviva UK says: “It’s great to see that the vast majority of UK motorists say they aren’t using their phones while driving, but 20% making calls behind the wheel is still 20% too many, so we’re urging drivers everywhere to stick to the law and wait until they can park before picking up their phone.
“The consequences of not paying full attention to the road can be catastrophic, so the message is clear: whether you are moving or stationary in traffic, that call or message can wait.”
A previous study carried out by Aviva in August 2016 found that 21% of UK drivers had made a call while driving without using a hands-free kit, while 16% admitted to sending a text while behind the wheel.
Ends
Media Enquiries: Aviva Press Office | Sarah Poulter | 07800 691569 | sarah.poulter@aviva.com | @sarahpoulter Notes to editors:
Notes to editors:
The Aviva Consumer Attitudes Survey interviews 1,000 adults aged 18 using online panels in each country surveyed except China (1,500 interviews), and India where the survey is conducted face to face and online (14,545 interviews in total). Countries surveyed include: UK, Ireland, France, Poland, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, India, Canada, and USA. A quota sample was interviewed with quotas set by age, gender, region and income by country. The questions referenced in the document were only asked of those who had driven in the last two years. Data is weighted to the known profile of the population in each country. The research was conducted by Ipsos MORI between 17th March and 1st May 2017.
* Of the participants surveyed, 10,014 had driven within the last two years (In the UK 709 motorists, Ireland: 834, France: 897, Poland: 748, Spain: 849, Italy: 913, Turkey: 713, Singapore: 503, China: 677, Indonesia: 915, India: 510, Canada: 845, and USA: 901)
** Using a mobile phone while driving without using a hands-free kit is prohibited (except for emergencies) in all countries in which respondents were surveyed, although laws in the USA vary by state.
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