While 36 percent admit that they drive too fast in denser built-up areas, almost half admit that they drive at least 25 km/h too fast.
Half of the drivers surveyed in a new study say they drive at least 25 km/h too fast.
This is evident from an analysis that focuses on drivers' reckless behavior. It shows that many drivers engage in actions that they themselves consider dangerous, even though they continue to carry them out.
According to the survey, almost half of the participants reported that they had exceeded the speed limit by more than 25 km/h on motorways within the past month. In addition, 36 percent indicated that they had driven 15 km/h or more over the speed limit on residential roads.
Reckless driving, such as running a red light, was also mentioned. A full 27 percent admitted to running a red light, while 12.4 percent said they had been caught without a seatbelt.
The study also included ratings of how dangerous different types of driving behavior are. Almost half of drivers rated exceeding the speed limit by 25 km/h as “very” or “extremely dangerous.”
On residential roads, 61 percent thought it was dangerous to drive that way. While 80 percent thought it was unacceptable to drive through a red light. On the other hand, slightly fewer, 75.9 percent, thought it was dangerous not to wear a seat belt.
Another part of the survey was about the use of mobile phones while driving. Around 35.5 percent reported that they had talked on a hand-held phone in the past month.
A slightly larger proportion, 37 percent, had read a text message or email, while 26.7 percent had even sent a text message or email while driving. More than half, almost 60 percent, reported using hands-free systems such as Apple CarPlay.
Younger drivers in the 19-24 age group in particular admitted to using their mobile phone more often while driving compared to other age groups.
Combined with speeding and using mobile phones, there are still other risk factors. Only 7.4 percent admitted to drinking alcohol in an amount that may have exceeded the legal blood alcohol limit. Five percent reported having a seizure within an hour of smoking cannabis.
A surprising factor was fatigue among drivers. Almost 20 percent reported that they had cards even though they were so tired they had difficulty keeping their eyes open.
The study highlights that although many drivers are aware of the dangers of various forms of risky behavior, they still continue to engage in them. This creates a need for further information and possible measures to improve road safety.
