Tens of millions of drivers are multitasking behind the wheel, putting themselves and other motorists at risk by not fully concentrating on the road, we can exclusively reveal.
Some 35 per cent of motorists – which represents 14.8 million licence holders – are estimated to be carrying out other tasks while behind the wheel as crash records show that distraction is now linked to causing 10 collisions on UK roads every day.
A survey of 2,000 UK adults by Direct Line motor insurance shared exclusively with This is Money has found that motorists are performing a whole host of strange and inexcusable acts, from reading books to playing on a Nintendo console and even plucking stray hairs and brushing their teeth.
Concerningly, multitasking is almost as common on the move (20 per cent) as it is when a car is temporarily stationary in traffic (23 per cent).
According to the most recent government data for 2023, distracted drivers were, on average, responsible for one in 20 collisions.
In a worrying trend, of these 3,564 crashes linked to distracted driving, 95 resulted in fatalities – more than were recorded in each of the five years prior.
Over 14.8 million motorists have admitted to carrying out other tasks while driving or being temporary stationary in their vehicles, despite distracted drivers causing 10 collisions on UK roads every day in 2023
There seems to be a clear generational element at play when it comes to motorists taking their eyes and minds off the task in hand.
Seven in ten Gen Z (17-28 years old) drivers admitting to multitasking when behind the wheel.
They are five times more likely to multitask while driving than Baby Boomers (aged 61-79) on average, and also more than twice as likely than Gen X (45-60).
A quarter of Gen Z Zoomer drivers admit to having read a book at the wheel and 20 per cent have even tried to do crafts, like knitting or crochet.
Zoomer also take personal grooming to a new level, with over a third styling their hair at the wheel. Twenty-three per cent brush their teeth or apply make-up, and around a fifth even admit to shaving. In stark contrast, not a single Boomer admitted to brushing their teeth or shaving while driving.
It’s not just Gen Z though; drivers of all ages are doing some varied activities while in the driving seat.
Across the board, four per cent owned up to changing their clothes, and a similar percentage have used a laptop or tablet and read a few pages of a novel.
The study also revealed that three per cent have been crafting at the wheel, and another three per cent have streamed content or even switched drivers whilst on the move.
While some forms of multitasking might seem bemusing at best and off-putting at worst, they have serious consequences for the safety of road users.
| Activity | Percentage of UK drivers who were driving a moving vehicle | Percentage of UK drivers who were driving, but the vehicle was stationary (e.g. at traffic lights or in a traffic jam) |
|---|---|---|
| Styled hair | 4% | 7% |
| Danced enthusiastically | 4% | 5% |
| Put on make-up | 4% | 5% |
| Plucked out hairs | 4% | 6% |
| Read a book | 4% | 5% |
| Switched the person driving | 3% | 5% |
| Learnt a language | 4% | 4% |
| Used a laptop/tablet | 4% | 4% |
| Changed clothes | 4% | 4% |
| Watched streamed content e.g. Netflix / TV show | 3% | 5% |
| Cleaned teeth | 4% | 4% |
| Shaved | 4% | 3% |
| Painted nails | 3% | 4% |
| Played on a gaming device (Gameboy / Nintendo) | 3% | 4% |
| Crafts (e.g. knitting/crocheting) | 3% | 3% |
| Source – Direct Line motor insurance | ||
A quarter of people surveyed who have witnessed a distracted driver told Direct Line they saw them run a red light.
One in five have seen distracted drivers failing to stop at pedestrian crossings.
Equally alarmingly, one in 20 have seen another vehicle having to swerve to avoid a distracted driver, resulting in significant damage to their vehicle.
Drivers also admitted to being distracted at the wheel themselves by other distracted drivers and as a consequence of this, six per cent collided with another vehicle, while five per cent said they had veered off the road while distracted.
Matt Pernet, Head of Direct Line Motor Insurance, commented: ‘Distractions behind the wheel are everywhere, both inside and outside the vehicle, which is why staying alert to all potential dangers is so important.
‘In an age of constant connectivity, technology can easily draw your attention away from the road for extended periods, even before considering the added risks associated with multitasking while driving.’
A recent RAC study similarly found that almost a third of motorists admit they’ve made mistakes while driving because they’ve been distracted.
While drivers can receive a £200 fine and six penalty points for using their smartphone while driving, talking to passengers and daydreaming were found to cause more mistakes in reality – a difference in the perception of what causes a driver to be distracted while driving and what actually causes them to make a mistake.
Another study recently found that nine in 10 drivers can’t complete a single car journey without being distracted by their smartphone
Motorists can’t manage to stay off their phones for a single journey
It comes after This is Money revealed last month that a staggering nine in ten drivers admit they can’t complete a car journey without being distracted by their phone.
Just 10 per cent are able to go from start to finish on a trip without using their device in some way or another.
With more than 42million licence holders, it suggests 37.8million are being distracted by their phones behind the wheel.
| Activity | Percentage of UK adults who have seen a distracted driver do this in the last year | Percentage of multitasking drivers who admit to doing this in the last year |
|---|---|---|
| Drove through a red light | 24% | 7% |
| Didn’t stop at a give way sign | 16% | 7% |
| Didn’t stop for pedestrians crossing e.g.: zebra crossing | 21% | 8% |
| Swerved into oncoming traffic and almost hit a vehicle | 12% | 7% |
| Collided with another vehicle and caused minor damage | 6% | 7% |
| Swerved off to the side of the road and caused minor damage | 6% | 7% |
| Crashed into a stationary object and caused minor damage | 6% | 6% |
| Swerved off to the side of the road and caused significant damage | 5% | 5% |
| Crashed into a stationary object and caused significant damage | 4% | 7% |
| Collided with another vehicle and caused significant damage | 4% | 6% |
| Source – Direct Line motor insurance | ||
