Survey reveals how common it is for Irish motorists to use a phone while driving

It was one of a number of findings in a survey about road safety and driver behaviour in Ireland.

More than half of motorists claim to regularly see someone driving while using a handheld device, according to an AIG Road Safety Report about attitudes towards road safety and driver behaviour in Ireland. 55% of a nationally representative sample of 1,000 people claim to regularly see someone driving while using a handheld device, an offence that carries a punishment of three penalty points and a fixed charge of €60. The survey also revealed that two thirds of Irish people (66%) want more Gardaí on the roads to combat drink driving and 74% think that the condition of Irish roads contributes to the number of accidents. Just over one in five, meanwhile, feel that there are enough Gardaí on the roads to combat speeding throughout the country, while 60% want the Government to do more to ensure our roads are safer. Commenting on the research, Aidan Connaughton, Head of Consumer Insurance, AIG Ireland said: “The findings of our research offer a fascinating insight into Irish motorists’ behaviour and we hope that this will help to raise awareness around some of the issues we face on our roads. “While it’s somewhat reassuring that our research shows that 80% of Irish drivers feel we need to take more responsibility on the roads, the reality is there are still too many road fatalities and there is still work to be done.”