Every Australian knows using a phone while driving is dangerous, yet millions still do it every day.
Findings from the new NRSW 2026 Australian Driving Behaviour Report have revealed just how widespread the problem has become, particularly among younger drivers.
The report found 50 per cent of Gen Z drivers admit to taking photos or videos while driving, while 40 per cent of Millennials confessed to doing the same.
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Almost two-thirds of Gen Z (63 per cent) drivers and more than half of Millennials (52 per cent) also admitted to reading texts while stopped at red lights.
But the problem may be down to people’s attention spans.
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As widely reported, research has shown that people’s attention span, particularly among young people, has shrunk in measurable ways.
Short-form content platforms like TikTok and Instagram, as well as high screen time, have been linked to reduced patience.
The Australian Driving Behaviour Report revealed drivers were quick to reach for their phones once a notification popped up.
The report found 30 per cent of Gen Z drivers and 28 per cent of Millennials check their phone within minutes of receiving a notification while behind the wheel.
And it is not just texting and snapping photos becoming a problem.
Scrolling social media and watching YouTube videos while driving is becoming an increasingly common sight.
While 92 per cent of surveyed motorists agree the habit is dangerous, frustrated drivers report regularly witnessing other road users glued to their screens.
One Reddit post captured a driver mindlessly scrolling through Instagram while stopped at a traffic light, sparking a wave of online outrage over the dangerous habit.
“I see this at least once or twice a week on my motorbike, because I can see into all the cars I split past. I’ve followed someone watching TikToks, he was still scrolling when I turned the other way,” a Reddit user wrote.
“These are the people we share the road with, and it’s scary as f***,” another added.
Another described seeing a woman scrolling through videos in heavy highway traffic while her two toddlers sat in the back seat.
“She had the phone on the area behind her steering wheel flicking through reels. I beeped at her. Even my kids were horrified!” the user wrote.
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“It’s out of control with the distracted driving,” another driver commented.
Others claimed drivers were exploiting loopholes by mounting phones in cradles, making it nearly impossible for phone detection cameras to detect.
Olympian Ariarne Titmus recently shared a disturbing video of her Uber driver watching Instagram reels on his phone while still driving the car.
MASSIVE FINES
But if a driver is caught using a phone while driving, the consequences are severe.
Fines range from $410 to more than $1,000, and drivers can also lose up to 10 demerit points, depending on the state.
National Road Safety Week founder Peter Frazer OAM said the research showed awareness campaigns alone were failing to change behaviour among younger motorists.
“They believe phone use is dangerous, but they continue to do it,” he said.
“Self-regulation is clearly not enough. And people agree.
“Distraction costs lives, and our only job at the wheel is to actively protect everyone on the road ahead.
“That is a choice we can all make, because everyone has a right to get home safe, every day, with no exceptions.”
