IRISH DRIVERS ARE among the worst in Europe for taking calls and checking their social media while driving, according to a new survey.
The survey carried out by Ipsos Mori on behalf of Aviva has found that Irish drivers are particularly bad when compared to our counterparts in the UK.
For example, over a quarter (26%) of the Irish people surveyed admitted to sending text messages while driving compared to just 13% in the UK.
Other risky behind-the-wheel phone usage sees 45% of Irish drivers admitting to taking calls while driving without using a hands-free kit. In the UK, the figure is less than half that at 20%.
This activity is an offence in Ireland and leads penalty points and a fixed charge notice of €60.
The survey also found that 15% of Irish drivers admit to checking or posting to their social media accounts while driving, a figure that is again more than double the 7% in the UK who admit to doing the same.
Of the seven European countries that were surveyed as part of the research, only Italian drivers (17%) used social media more frequently while driving than was the case in Ireland.
Being distracted by passengers, such as children in the back of the car, is also a common complaint among Irish drivers with 43% saying this is a common occurrence for them.
This figure was the highest among the European countries surveyed.
In total, the behaviour of drivers from 13 countries was surveyed with Chinese drivers most likely to make a call while driving.
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