FED DRIVERS

SYDNEY - Almost half of young drivers regularly speak on mobile phones
and send text messages while behind the wheel, and about a quarter of
them have driven at speeds of more than 140kph, a new survey shows.

The annual Safe Drive Young Driver survey, conducted by Brisbane-based
company Safe Drive Training, asked more than 3,000 young drivers
between the ages of 17 and 20 about their driving experiences and their
attitudes towards it.

The survey commissioned by car manufacturer Proton uncovered a host of
alarming figures associated with young Australians' driving.

Forty-four per cent of respondents admitted they regularly used mobile
phones, for both voice and SMS, while driving.

Twenty-six per cent admitted driving at speeds of more than 140kph,
despite most being P-platers, and 64 per cent said they had been a
passenger in a car that had exceeded 140kph.

Sixty per cent said they had either perpetrated or been witness to a
road rage incident, and four per cent admitted to driving under the
influence of drugs or alcohol.

Managing director and chief instructor for Safe Drive Training, Joel
Neilsen, said the survey highlighted the need to train novice drivers
not only in terms of skills, but also in terms of attitudes.

"The level of ignorance and poor attitudes amongst novice drivers is a
real concern," Mr Neilsen said.