1 in 5 Victorians feel ‘confident’ to use phones behind the wheel

A concerning number of Victorian motorists reckon they can drive safely while using their phone, according to shocking new data.

Nearly 20 per cent of Victorians say they feel “confident” driving while using their mobile phone, new data has revealed, with those aged 28 to 37 most likely to offend.

Results from a recent Budget Direct survey found nearly one in five Victorians backed their ability to drive safely while checking their phones, and alarmingly, 24 per cent of that age group had used their phone while behind the wheel in the past two weeks because they felt safe doing so.

The most common ways people said they used their phones behind the wheel was to change a song or to check while stopped at traffic lights.

New AI cameras were installed in 2023 to catch people on their phones while driving. Picture: Victoria Police

State government data revealed more than 30,000 drivers were caught on their phones in the six months to December last year after new hi-tech cameras were rolled out, resulting in$17.5m in fines.

Drivers caught using their phones are fined $593 and four demerit points.

Queensland has the harshest penalties with a $1161 fine and four points, while drivers caught in NSW accumulate five demerit points.

According to the survey, people aged between 28 and 37 backed themselves the most to multi-task behind the wheel, with 29 per cent of responders from this age group saying they felt confident driving while using a phone.

When asked in the survey why they used their phones “while driving in the past two weeks”, 15 per cent of Victorian responders said they felt “safe” while six per cent responded that it had become a habit.

Nearly 20 per cent of Victorians backed themselves to use their phones while driving Picture: Justin Kennedy

Eighteen per cent of Victorians said it was “most acceptable” to check their unmounted phones at a traffic light, while 16.7 per cent said it was fine when the phone was mounted in a cradle.

Fully licenced drivers can use mounted devices — or use voice commands — for calls, music and navigation.

Learner and probationary drivers can briefly touch mounted devices to adjust navigation settings, climate controls and audio functions.

According to Australian Road Rules, drivers are also banned from “looking at the screen of someone else’s phone”.

About 58 per cent of Victorian respondents also said it should be legal to use a phone to pay for food at a drive-thru.

A motorist caught using their phone while driving. Picture: Department of State Growth

But Victorian drivers conceded they would be most deterred by tougher penalties, including harsher fines.

About 63 per cent responded that a fine of more than $1000 would put them off more than more demerit points.

Nearly a third of respondents said texting while driving was the second biggest factor — behind drink driving — to result in a road fatality.

It comes as 296 were lost on Victorian roads in 2023 — the largest number since 304 people died in collisions in 2008.

Last year police said “single acts of non-compliance or people making basic driving errors”, such as failing to obey road signs and red lights, using mobile phones behind the wheel and low-range speeding accounted for more than half of the deaths.

So far 159 lives have been lost on Victorian roads this year.

Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said police see drivers on their phones “too often”.

“Driving isn’t a secondary activity, it requires your complete attention,” he said.

“It’s up to every motorist to know the rules and adhere to them.

“If you’re caught using your phone while driving, whether by police or a camera, you should expect to be penalised.

“The penalty is significant for a reason – distraction is a major contributing factor to road trauma.”