Two out of five young drivers drive while on the phone: survey

And they don’t even use a hands-free kit.

Two out of five Singapore road users aged 18 to 29 use mobile devices while driving even though 85% of survey respondents perceive that doing so is dangerous, according to AXA Insurance Singapore’s 2015 Road User Behaviour Survey. Of the 526 motorists surveyed, the 37% that admitted to using mobile devices reportedly do so without using a hands-free kit.

The survey also found that 2015 saw an increase in the number of road users that were unaware of their dangerous driving habits. 52% of surveyed drivers did not consider speeding as dangerous. Moreover, drivers that did not think that crossing double white lines to overtake two cars ahead was dangerous rose to 38% this year, marking a 5% increase from last year.

Further, the survey found that there was a lack of awareness regarding road safety rules. Only 11% of drivers of light and heavy goods vehicles were aware of legal speed limits on expressways, while 85% did not know of the legal alcohol limit.

Troublingly, the survey notes that while road accident fatalities saw an 8% drop, road accident-related injuries inched up 8% over the past three years.