A third of Kiwis admit to texting and driving

Tuesday, 30 June 2020

The Government is working on a road safety strategy to drive substantial improvements in road safety in New Zealand. (Video first published in December 2019)

Thirty-two per cent of Kiwis said they would text and drive, new research has revealed.

The findings come from a Vodafone study, which is working with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, 2degrees and Spark as well as the NZ Police and Auckland Transport to tackle the problem of distracted driving. Vodafone's study asked close to 1000 people, sampled by age, gender and region.

“We know that it’s safest not to use a phone at all while driving,' said Waka Kotahi Senior Manager for Road Safety, Fabian Marsh.

This is precisely what you shouldn't do while driving. Not to text, check Instagram or change a song.

'Unfortunately, the reality is that phone use by drivers is commonplace in New Zealand and this is a hard behaviour to shift. The partnership will help us to better understand driver behaviours and develop targeted initiatives aimed at raising awareness of the risks and to spread the word on the importance of driving undistracted.

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This is an all-too-common sight on New Zealand roads. Just put it away, Tinder can wait.

“We hope that by enlisting the support and collaboration of our partners, we will be able to tap into the mindsets of Kiwis all across the country encouraging people to think twice about using their phones behind the wheel.”

Working on the basis of Vodafone's study, the core group of telcos (telecommunication companies) and Waka Kotahi will release a variety of campaigns over the next twelve months to educate the public on the proper use of mobile phones in cars including legalities, risks involved and the best options to stay safe. The NZ Police and Auckland Transport will also contribute.

Jason Paris, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone, said: “While smartphones are the digital Swiss army knives of our lives in so many ways, mobile phones can be a massive, and, sadly, too often a tragic distraction when we get behind the wheel.'

Observational research will begin in July, aimed at seeing how Kiwis really behave with their devices once in the car.

According to a Waka Kotahi spokesperson, the research will be completed by an external agency. It will run for between four and six weeks and 'aims to avoid response bias and gather the most representative data to showcase what drivers do with their mobile phones in the car.'

The research, with the permission of the user, will track which apps are being used and for how long during set periods of commute times that the participant establishes. It won’t track what a user is doing on each app, merely that they are using it.

The results of the research will help the working group to develop practical solutions to help New Zealanders drive more safely and help us focus on what we communicate with drivers.

Mark Aue, boss of 2degrees, said: “This is about making our roads safer to drive on, and our country safer to travel in. People using phones while in the driver’s seat are distracted and are putting themselves and others at risk. This partnership matters and the team at 2degrees is 100 per cent behind this work with Waka Kotahi to promote safe practises and deliver lasting behaviour change that will ultimately save lives.”

Head of Spark, Jolie Hodson added: “We are really pleased to support this initiative and be part of encouraging meaningful change on this issue. While most Kiwis know it is dangerous to drive and use their phone, many continue to do so, and therefore it is important that we get a better understanding of why this is and how we can change that behaviour.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the results of the research and working with Waka Kotahi, NZ Police, Auckland Transport and our industry peers to keep Kiwis safe on the roads.”