1 in 5 Brits Admit to Making Phone Calls When Driving

United Kingdom (UK) drivers across 13 countries say that driving while talking on a phone is the least likely thing they would do.  Aviva’s recent Consumer Attitudes Survey yielded this query information involving approximately 10,000 drivers in Europe, North America and Asia.

One in five Brits driving in the UK reported making a phone call while driving not using a hands-free kit.  This is now illegal per UK law.  Globally, 48 percent on average said they made such a call.

Drivers in the United States (US) (63%) and in China (76%) indicated they had made a call as a driver.  In the UK, the percentage was 20%.

Texting while driving happened at the hands of 13 percent of the drivers in the UK, with the worldwide group of survey respondents numbering at an average of 31 percent.  Posting on or checking into social media while driving was at seven percent which was less than the global average of 17 percent.  In the case of taking pictures or uploading items onto or from social media while behind the wheel, the response was for percent as opposed to the average responses at 14 percent globally.  Also, according to the survey, 32 percent have consulted with a digital or paper map and 28 percent input a location into a satellite navigation system.

When taken by age, only 11 percent over age 55 indicated they made a call as opposed to those 45 to 54 who numbered 27 percent and 26 percent of those aged 18 to 44.  Text message transmitting was at 28 percent by those 25-34.  Fourteen percent within that age group said they have posted on social media when driving.

March 17-May 1 were the survey dates just after March 1 when the UK violation fines doubled to nearly €228.   They also are taking more points off an offender’s driver’s licence.

The following were published by country by percentage of those who said they did the following while driving:   made phone calls;  texted by driving; and made a social media post, respectively:  UK, 20%, 13%, and 7%; Spain, 35%, 27%, and 11%; France, 39%, 26%, and 8%; Canada, 43%, 26%, and 11%; Ireland, 45%, 26%, and 15%; Singapore, 46%, 47%, and 23%; Indonesia, 51%, 53%, and 29%; Poland, 53%, 18%, and 14%; Turkey, 53%, 34%, and 22%; Italy, 59%, 41%, and 17% ; India, 60%, 43%, and 41%; US, 63%, 34%, and 22%; and China,76%, 28%; and 11%.

The global average percentages reported are: 48%, 31%, and 17% respectively.