A quarter of social media-addicted millennials confess they cannot resist taking a look at their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles even while at the wheel of their car, new research revealed.

Despite the threat of six penalty points on their licence, being a danger to everyone else on the road and a fine of up to £1,000, a quarter (23 per cent) of 18 to 34-year olds are still willing to take the risk and have a peak at their phones while driving, ‘just in case’ there’s a post or like they haven’t seen.

In fact, such is our addiction to our phones; this obsession has also led to 28 per cent of millennials checking and sending text messages while driving too.

Shockingly, the poll of 2,000 adults by Privilege Car Insurance revealed that six per cent admit they send messages while at the wheel every single day, while five per cent check their social media daily while in the driver's seat.

It seems millennials have by far the worst driving habits of all road users, and their poor behaviour isn’t just restricted to phone use.

17 per cent have got into a blazing row with a passenger when they should be concentrating on the road, while 13 per cent have almost been involved in a crash because they weren’t focused enough.

A third admit to having slowed down traffic because they wanted to rubber-neck at an accident (33 per cent), 24 per cent have overtaken a cyclist too closely and 11 per cent have cut in front of another motorist.

Meanwhile, four per cent of 18 to 34-year olds revealed they have actually hit another motor in a car park and driven off without leaving a note.

But it’s not just millennials who have developed bad habits on the roads.

Indeed, four per cent of all British drivers admit they are actually not very good at driving, with almost one million* of them saying they are so bad, that friends and family think they’re a danger.

In fact, scarily, three per cent of Britons admit the roads would definitely be a safer place if they were not driving, with almost half a million drivers* confessing they shouldn’t be allowed a licence.

Six per cent have actually taken their eyes off the road to have a chat with a passenger in the back seat, while a third admitted to having attempted to eat or drink while driving in the last 12 months (34 per cent).

It also seems many don’t know what the rear-view mirror is for, with a third of women confessing they have used it to check their hair and makeup on the go (33 per cent), with the same number of women fiddling with possessions such as bags, while on the move.

Things have got so bad for one in ten women, that their partners hate having to be a passenger in their car.

These distractions are leading us to become a nuisance to other road users.

With our minds elsewhere, one in ten stick to the middle or outside lane of a motorway or dual carriageway even when there is nothing in the inside lane.

The same number (10 per cent) have set off on a journey in the dark and forgotten to turn on their headlights, while 11 per cent have lost concentration at traffic lights and failed to move off when they turned green.

Worse still, as far as traffic light behaviour is concerned, four per cent admit they have driven through a red light.

Charlotte Fielding, head of Privilege Car Insurance said: “We all develop bad driving habits, many of which can make us less safe on the road, but it’s particularly worrying to see the impact of social media on our driving.

“At Privilege, we want to encourage all drivers to be as safe as possible, taking care of themselves, passengers and others on the road, and this includes ensuring concentration levels remain high.

“Hopefully by identifying some of our worst habits, we can create more awareness amongst drivers, which will help to eliminate them.”

 Common Bad Habits While Driving (all ages)

1.      Accelerating to get past an amber light before it turns red – 56%

2.      Eating or drinking – 50%

3.      Refusing to let people in when in a queue of traffic – 45%

4.      Driving with dog(s) in the car without properly securing them – 38%

5.      Indicating too late before changing lanes or turning – 32%

6.      Fiddling with personal belongings – 31%

7.      Getting distracted fiddling with sat-nav – 27%

8.      Failing to indicate at all before changing lanes or turning – 26%

9.      Checking hair, make-up or appearance in the mirror – 24%

10.  Not checking the mirror before signalling – 22%

11.  Deliberately approaching a roundabout in the wrong lane because it has a shorter queue – 20%

12.  = Having a long (hands-free) phone-conversation – 19%

12. = Cutting in front of other drivers – 19%

14.  Sending or checking text messages – 15%

15.  Checking social media or other apps – 11%

-ends-

For more information, please contact: Georgia Andrewes at Richmond & Towers:

[email protected] / 020 3179 0720

 

Notes to editors:

Research carried out amongst a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults by Opinium Research from 22^nd to 25^th March 2019.

 

Privilege

Privilege Insurance specialises in car insurance for safe drivers. It also offers home insurance and breakdown cover by phone or on-line.

 

Privilege general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

 

Privilege and UK Insurance Limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.  

 

Customers can find out more about Privilege’s products or get a quote by calling

0345 246 0515 or visiting www.privilege.co.uk

* source: DVLA Driving License Data – November 2018 (40,517,983 drivers hold Cat B or B (auto) licenses. 810,000 of these are so bad friends and family think they are a danger and 405,000 admit they shouldn’t be allowed a licence).