The common Aussie driving habit more dangerous than a phone

Is it just me, or is driving one of the most ritualistic things humans can do? Admittedly, I’m guilty of delaying the start of my journey until I find the right song, and I am privy to a slightly delayed reaction at the lights when said song has me in a chokehold.

Many drivers occasionally break road rules, but new survey data has revealed the bad driving habits Aussies can't seem to shake despite endless campaigns and warnings from road authorities.

According to a new survey commissioned by the National Road Safety Week event organisers – which polled more than 1000 Australians across different age groups – eating while driving was cited as the top distraction among respondents.

Event organisers said the data confirmed that “eating is the single most common distraction Australians confess to while driving, occurring at more than double the rate of mobile phone use”.

Based on the survey, approximately 35 per cent of participants confessed to eating while behind the wheel of a car, with the driving habit more prevalent in this state.

Western Australian motorists reported the highest percentage of eating while driving at 43 per cent, followed by Victorian drivers (37 per cent), then NSW (34 per cent), Queensland (33 per cent) and finally South Australia (30 per cent).

Among the different age groups, Gen X motorists (aged 46 to 61 years old) were the most likely to eat while driving, with 40 per cent of respondents in this age group confessing to the bad habit.

According to a recent survey commissioned by a road safety body, eating was cited as the top driver distraction among Aussie motorists. Picture: iStock

Gen Z drivers (aged 17–29 years old) weren’t too far behind at 39 per cent. Conversely, millennial motorists (aged 30 to 45) were the least likely to engage in this behaviour, with only 28 per cent reporting they’ve eaten while driving.

While most drivers are prone to eating some fries on their way out of a drive-thru, it’s worth noting that the act is technically illegal if it leads to a motorist losing control of their vehicle.

As reported by Drive in September 2025, losing control of a motor vehicle due to eating can incur fines of hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on where the offence took place.

A Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland told Drive last year, “While there are currently no laws prohibiting drivers from eating while driving, it is up to the driver to ensure they remain in proper control of the vehicle and sufficiently alert to the environment”.

According to the founder of the National Road Safety Week, Peter Frazer, the survey revealed just how many external factors contribute to distracted driving.

While 92 per cent of respondents said mobile phones were dangerous to drivers, a large cohort of young motorists confessed to engaging in risky behaviours due to their phones.

“This data shows that we can’t focus solely on mobile phones and let an equally prevalent danger go unnoticed. The ‘hungry driver’ is a national road safety blind spot and another distraction we cannot afford to ignore,” Frazer said in a May 2026 media statement.

While eating behind the wheel was cited as the most common road distraction among participants, the survey revealed that mobile phone use remains a key concern.

Though 92 per cent of survey respondents said mobile phone use while driving was dangerous, a big cohort of young participants confessed to breaking road rules.

Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of Gen Z and more than half of millennials (52 per cent) admitted to checking their texts at red lights. Concerningly, 50 per cent of Gen Z and 40 per cent of millennials confessed to taking photos or videos while driving.

Despite this trend, young motorists showed the greatest appetite for banning mobile phone use altogether, with 45 per cent of Gen Z and 45 per cent of millennials voting in favour.

According to Frazer, the recent data showed that road campaigns weren’t enough for young drivers.

“They believe phone use is dangerous, but they continue to do it. Self-regulation is clearly not enough,” he said.

“Distraction costs lives, and our only job at the wheel is to actively protect everyone on the road ahead. That is a choice we can all make, because everyone has a right to get home safe, every day, with no exceptions,” he added.

Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.

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