THINK! Annual Survey 2010

Key findings in the 2010 survey include:

• Levels of road usage per week have remained relatively stable over the years, with walking far ahead of other types of road usage (96% in 2011). In 2011, three quarters of respondents (76%) rode as passengers, while the proportion who drove a car for non work-related reasons rose to 68% (up from 62% in 2006). Four in 10 (37%) used a car to get to and from work, a figure that has also seen a rise (up from 35% in 2009). Lower proportions drove as part of their job (24%) or used other means of transport (19% rode bicycles, 7% drove a van or lorry, and 3% rode motorcycles, scooters or mopeds).

• When asked to specify the most important road safety issues for the Government to address, drink-driving was the most commonly mentioned (59%), followed by speeding (44%) and use of mobile phones without a hands free kit (43%). These three issues have headed the list since 2006, although the number rating drink-driving as a top three issue to address has fallen from 70% in 2008.

• The behaviours most highly rated as unacceptable were driving after taking drugs (98% for Class A drugs and 94% for cannabis), using a mobile phone while driving (98% for texting and 96% for using a mobile phone without a hands-free kit) and not wearing a seat belt in the front of a car (95%). By way of comparison, this is the same proportion as found shoplifting unacceptable. For all of these behaviours except driving after taking Class A drugs (which was universally felt to be unacceptable), motorists were more likely to hold this opinion than non motorists.