Drivers are distracted – How, why and are they willing to change?

AAMI have recently commissioned consumer research into why Aussies are driving distracted. It’s a case of you can’t manage what you can’t measure so in an effort to understand why drivers drive distracted, this research was conducted to find the key reasons for distracted driving. AAMI hopes the findings will lead to a change in behaviour.

That may be harder than you think as although 9 in 10 Aussie drivers admit to driving distracted, a quarter of those surveyed stated that they will not change behaviour until they personally experience the negative consequences first hand. That would mean that they themselves, a friend or family member needs to become a victim before a required change of behaviour would occur.

The research was undertaken in September 2025 on drivers 18+ years.

Key distractions were:

• Personal technology – phones, watches. (25%)
• Vehicle technology – Radio, GPS, Music streaming (60%)
• Distracted by others – That may be in the form of other drivers, pedestrians and other activities outside their vehicle (61%)
• Other crashes – In a case of crashes leading to more crashes 40% admit they are distracted by rubbernecking at other collisions
• Eating/Drinking – The highest individual percentage at a massive 65%

Essentially distractions fall into three broad categories.

1. Visual – Taking your eyes off the road
2. Manual – Taking your hands off the wheel
3. Cognitive – Taking your mind off the task

Australian Road Safety Foundation CEO and Founder Russell White said  “Distraction has become one of the major contributing factors in serious crashes. It’s easy to forget you’re travelling in a fast-moving, heavy machine. The data shows it’s now rivalling fatigue and speeding as a major cause of road trauma”

So what can be done?

AAMI aims to address these alarming figures by inviting drivers to participate in the AAMI Driving Test where mobile phone telematic data is captured and suggestions are given to reduce or eliminate the risk

Telemetry measures 5 key factors which are:

• Speeding
• Hard Braking
• Cornering
• Acceleration
• Phone use

These 5 identified measurements are already available to every Australian driver through the AAMI app and the company hopes that using these key variables can help identify the issues and provide suggestions as to how to address them.

AAMI assures users that “All telematics insights captured in the app are aggregated. Driver app scores will not impact customer premiums or count against them at claims or renewal time”

“Every year we handle more than 400,000 car insurance claims nationally, so we’ve learnt a lot about what is causing crashes and the impact this has on individuals and the wider community – and we want to help Aussie drivers become better, and safer on our roads. “To set the record straight on who’s better behind the wheel, AAMI is launching the AAMI Driving Test (ADT) – a national safer driver initiative which gives all Australians the chance to test and improve their skills” – Mary Kennedy, AAMI Motor Prevention Manager.

Lets hope that those who choose to participate acknowledge their shortcomings and take steps to address them. We can all be better drivers