Following the Bureau of Meteorology issuing severe weather warnings in recent days for Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, AAMI has released research indicating many Australians have an inflated sense of their driving skills on wet roads.
According to the survey, only a small percentage of drivers believe road accidents in the rain result from their driving skills. AAMI reported that 13 per cent of drivers admit their skills are hindered in rain, while almost half (44 per cent) believe other motorists are not as good on wet roads.
Despite one third of Australian drivers (34 per cent) confessing to having had an accident in the rain previously, many still admit they do not employ basic precautions to keep safe on wet roads.
AAMI’s research identified that one in five drivers say they don’t avoid sudden braking or reduce their speed, and one in six said they don’t drive more cautiously, leave extra distance to the car in front, or put their lights on for better visibility.
AAMI’s Head of Motor Claims, Matt Pugliese, said adopting safe driver behaviour is critical to preventing future accidents on wet roads.
“The research suggests there might be a case of Aussie drivers having a blind spot when it comes to their own wet weather driving ability,” he said.
“We all know the roads are more dangerous in the wet as drivers have to contend with slippery roads, poor visibility and longer stopping distances.
“More of us need to take the necessary precautions – the small adjustments are worth it so you don’t become another wet weather crash statistic.”
AAMI said Queenslanders appear to be most susceptible to what the insurer describes as ‘storm smugness’, with just 10 per cent believing they’re worse off in the rain while 47 per cent accuse their peers of shoddy skills.
New South Wales drivers were not far behind when it comes to blaming others – 16 per cent for self-perception versus 47 per cent perception of others. Victorians may be the more realistic drivers with 13 per cent rating themselves worse in wet conditions compared with 40 per cent of other motorists.
Respondents under 40 were identified as the ones exhibiting the riskiest driving behaviour, with 59 per cent admitting they do not drive with extra caution in the rain while 62 per cent do not pay extra attention to other motorists. AAMI said this relaxed attitude has led to more than a third of this demographic having at least one accident in their driving career.
Australian Road Safety Foundation CEO and founder Russell White urged motorists to improve inclement weather driving behaviour.
“As a driver, you need to remember you have a responsibility to drive safely for yourself, your passengers, other road users and pedestrians. Too many Australian lives are impacted each year by road trauma – we want to encourage all drivers to take the time to play it safe when behind the wheel,” White said.
“Reducing the road toll will require a change in our beliefs and our cultural paradigms towards road risk, and we can start this journey by collectively building our wet weather driving resilience.”