Australia’s most annoying driving habit revealed and what it could do to your car insurance

Every Aussie likes to think they’re the best and most responsible driver on our roads, but according to a recent survey by RACQ, not everyone deserves the bragging rights.

The survey revealed some of the most blood boiling habits many drivers are guilty of, which can not only impact your driving privileges, but void your car insurance.

Tailgating and incorrectly indicating or failing to indicate were tied as the most frustrating driving habits at 91.5%, followed by texting while driving (91.4%), increasing speed while being overtaken (90.6%) and littering (90.1%).

“Time and time again tailgating ranks as the number one most annoying habit and it’s a major problem because it puts unnecessary pressure on inexperienced drivers and leads to mistakes that cause crashes,” said RACQ spokesperson, Clare Hunter.

“Indicating incorrectly not only impacts those drivers around you, it’s a dangerous rule to ignore and could result in a bingle.”

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The real cost of tailgating by state

While many Aussie drivers see tailgating as a subtle push to encourage another driver to increase their speed, it also comes at a hefty cost.

In Queensland, if you are caught tailgating, you’ll cop a $304 fine and a loss of one demerit point. Victorians will receive a $242 fine, plus one demerit point, while Western Australians can expect a $200 fine and a loss of two demerit points.

But if you’re a regular tailgater living in NSW, be prepared to cop a whopping $448 fine, plus a massive loss of three demerit points.

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And while committing any of the five habits will land you in hot water with the law, you might also land yourself in the bad books of your car insurance provider.

A Mozo car insurance comparison of 20 policies* last year revealed that many insurers would bump up the premiums and even void policies if drivers were caught doing the wrong thing.

For example, using your mobile phone while driving will not only incur a $325 fine and a loss of four demerit points, your insurance premium could also jump by up to 10% for any demerit points lost.

Should your license be suspended, the policy comparison found that one insurer would increase its premium by almost $400 for drivers.

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“Car insurance providers take driving offences very seriously and may punish bad behaviour by bumping up a policy holder’s premium,” warned Mozo Director, Kirsty Lamont.

“When you think about the cost it could add to your household and the risk it puts on our roads, it’s just not worth it.”

So if you’re after a top notch car insurance policy to safeguard your morning commute or weekend road trips, head over to our car insurance comparison tool. It compares key policy details and discounts from a range of comprehensive car insurance policies.

*The Mozo car insurance comparison compared 20 of the most popular car insurance policies in Australia. The results were based on a 35 year old male from Sydney with no recent claims, driving a 2012 Toyota Corolla which was parked overnight in a secured garage.