Men more likely to speed, women likely to
use phones while driving
Men are more likely to speed.
They're also likely not to stop when the traffic light turns
amber.
Women are more inclined to use their mobile phones while
driving.
These are some findings from survey conducted by AXA Insurance
on some 500 motorists in Singapore.
Lin Jiamei with more.
Among the dangerous driving habits, speeding, driving through an
amber traffic light and tail-gating came up tops.
Men are found to be more likely to go over the speed limit while
women, true to the popular belief about their multi tasking
ability, are found to be more inclined to use their phones behind
the wheel.
Men are also more likely to drive after drinking; about 11 per
cent said they would do so , compared to 1 per cent for the
women.
The survey also found that young parents with kids below the age
of 12 are more likely to engage in dangerous driving behaviour,
such as speeding, driving without a seat belt and overtaking
without signaling.
CEO of AXA , Henri Gurs.
" Sometimes when you have young kids you have to pay attention
to what they are doing behind, be it whether they are crying or
shouting so this would likely have an impact on your attention when
driving. "
The top three deterrent against these bad driving habits ---
demerit points, speed cameras and more traffic police on the
road.
Safety concerns, as AXA found, is a lesser deterrent.
The survey also found that a majority of motorists have no clue
to the 50 kmh speed limit on regular roads, though they do know the
limit of 90 kmh on highways.
The month long survey which was conducted in February this year,
aims to find out more about the attitudes and perception of
motorists in Singapore.
The company has conducted similar polls in Europe and it will
carry out a few more of such surveys here before deciding if the
results would have any impact on its motor insurance policies.
Mr Gurs again.
" In Europe after analyzing all the survey results, we found
that drinking which is a very bad habit, has an effect on the
claims. That is why we have introduced a special benefit in Europe,
where if you are a young person drinking too much at a party, we
will pay for the taxi for you to return home instead of driving, so
it is really after a survey of this sort that we have modified the
benefits of the contract. "
--938Live