Half of this state’s motorists admit to using their phones while driving
Despite being illegal for nearly 30 years, half of the respondents in a Victorian road user survey said they had used their phones behind the wheel in the past month.
The quest for a reduced road toll is ongoing, and the latest Road Safety Monitor report by Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission has shown there’s a long way to go to change driver’s habits behind the wheel.
Victorian motorists were surveyed by the TAC to form its annual report, revealing surprising behaviours while driving.
One of the report’s more shocking findings was that 50 per cent of 2311 surveyed motorists had admitted to using a mobile phone while driving, despite this being made illegal way back in 1998.
Currently, the fine for using a ‘portable device’ such as a mobile phone while driving in Victoria is $627 plus four demerit points, making it even more expensive than exceeding the speed limit by 25km/h to 29km/h ($575, three month licence suspension).
The percentage of respondents admitting to phone use while driving is decreasing, with the 50 per cent figure down on past results of 52 (2022), 51 (2023) and 52 (2024), however there are interesting demographic details showing certain groups are getting better than others
For 18 to 25 year olds, usage has decreased from 63 per cent in 2022 to 56 per cent in 2025, while 26-39 year olds started at the same level but have dropped less to 61 per cent.
While women are also now less likely to use their phones while driving (48 per cent compared to 54 per cent in 2022), the rate has gone up for men, rising from 50 per cent to 52 per cent.
In addition to half of those surveyed admitting to using their phones, 46 per cent of those said they had interacted with an app once holding the phone, while 24 per cent said they’d sent or read a text message, or made or received a call.
According to the report, most respondents said they would feel embarrassed telling friends they had been caught using a mobile phone illegally while driving, however “those who reported phone use while driving reported a lower level of embarrassment”
“Almost two thirds (63 per cent) of respondents who used a hand-held mobile phone while driving would feel embarrassed, compared with 83 per cent of those who did not,” the report added.
In what could be a worrying sign for police, 31 per cent of respondents who had used a phone while “believed they were likely to be caught, compared with 38 per cent of those who had not used a hand-held mobile phone while driving”.
The report forms a part of informing Victoria’s Road Safety Strategy, which by 2030 aims to halve the number of lives lost and serious injuries suffered by road users compared to 2020 levels.
Despite this being something the majority of states are aiming for, the road toll is largely consistent year-on-year, though the number of fatalities per capita has been dropping slowly in recent years.
