Family time, working out: What South Australians did with extra time during COVID

Less traffic during COVID-19 meant South Australians missed out on doing one surprising thing, as what they got up to with the extra time each day is revealed.

It was one upside of the COVID lockdowns – South Australia’s roads void of traffic. But it was also good for our potty mouths it seems, with more time off the roads meaning drivers were less likely to swear.

According to a survey commissioned by dashcam manufacturer Nextbase, 86 per cent of respondents admitted to swearing when stuck in traffic.

“F**k off” was the most common phrase uttered among foul-mouthed Aussie drivers, followed by “sh*t” (19 per cent), “d*ckhead” (12 per cent), “arsehole” (8 per cent), “c**t” (4 per cent), and “bastard”, “mother f**ker” and “son of a b*tch” which all came in at 2 per cent.

V8 Supercars Bathurst Champion David Reynolds, who heads up the Curb the Rage campaign aimed at reducing aggression on the roads, said drivers needed to remain calm.

“There are many triggers for road rage, and swearing in traffic happens to a large majority of us as the Nextbase study suggests – but when it’s aimed at another road user, dangerous situations are bound to occur,” Reynolds said.

“That’s when you need to tell yourself to slow down and concentrate on your driving.”

V8 Supercars Bathurst Champion David Reynolds said drivers needed to remain calm while behind the wheel. Picture: Tim Hunter.

South Australians were handed back almost 50 minutes extra a day during COVID-19, and how they used the spare time has been revealed.

Nationally, a large majority of Australians saw a change in the time it took them to commute to work during the pandemic, as fewer people used their cars to travel to and fro, according to new research by Allianz Australia.

Less time on the road meant South Australians gained an extra 48 minutes of free time. A poll by the insurance group in which local respondents were given the option to select up to three activities revealed that spending time with family was the most preferred thing to do at 35 per cent.

Almost a quarter said they used the extra minutes to work out, and watch TV.

Cleaning, walking the dog, and reading was preferenced by almost a fifth respondents, followed by sleeping more, and working more (both 15 per cent)

Almost a third of South Australians poll also said they felt relaxed as a result of COVID-19 shaking up their routines.

Originally published as Family time, working out: What South Australians did with extra time during COVID