Drivers dial into danger

DRIVERS speaking or texting on a mobile phone illegally are the greatest menace on the roads, according to a survey of motorists.

In the NRMA survey phone use was voted a greater concern than driving under the influence of alcohol (56 per cent) and speeding (55 per cent).

The survey of almost 1500 members found almost threequarters – 72 per cent – ranked illegal phone use as their biggest road safety fear.

New data collated by the Centre for Road Safety shows young people are not the biggest offenders.

While 34,858 drivers aged 16-25 were fined for using phones from 2013 to 2017, 74,056 drivers aged 26-39 were caught. A close second were 40 to 59-year-olds who racked up 53,531 offences.