Surveys and Research reports

TAC Research Results

Here you will find information and downloads on the TAC's Road Safety and Marketing research. For more information see our surveys page which provides information on other surveys we are conducting and details for survey participants.

Road Safety Monitor

Since 2001, we have conducted the Road Safety Monitor (RSM) research with license holders and registered vehicle owners in Victoria. The survey findings are used to track and monitor road user behavior and attitudes. Our findings from this survey are used to inform public education campaigns and inform policy development.

2022  Road Safety Monitor

2021 Road Safety Monitor

Highlights 2021 RSM

  • highest incidence of self-reported intentional speeding since 2016.
  • 45 % respondents admitted to driving while feeling drowsy – an increase from 2020 (38%)
  • 29% had used their phone illegally while driving in the preceding three months
  • 24% drove between the hours of 10pm and 6am at least twice a week – an increase on 2020 (20%)
  • 4% had driven when they knew or thought they were over the legal blood alcohol limit – consistent with previous years

2020 Road Safety Monitor

Highlights RSM 2020

  • 39% respondents admitted to intentionally exceeding the speed limit in a 60 km/h zone, while 40% sped in a 100 km/h zone (steady on previous years)
  • 28% of drivers used their phone hand-held while driving (a decline from 37% since 2016)
  • 38% reported driving while feeling very tired (55% among drivers aged 18-25)
  • 41% of people say they drove after drinking alcohol (legally), a reduction from 50% in 2019.

2019 Road Safety Monitor

2018 Road Safety Monitor

Highlights 2018 RSM:

  • 87% of participants believed Victoria should aim for zero road deaths, but just 14% believed achieving zero is possible.
  • 67% of drivers feel guilty if they exceed the speed limit but 43% admitted to intentionally driving above the limit in a 100 zone, and 39% in a 60 zone.
  • One in five participants (20%) aged 18-25 years old reported they had used recreational drugs in the past 12 months. Driving after taking recreational drugs is more common among those on P-Plates (3.2%).
  • While one in 20 (5%) drivers report driving over their legal Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in the past 12 months, nearly half (48%) have driven after drinking, but when they believed they were under their legal BAC.
  • Driving while very drowsy (9.2%) and driving while using a hand-held mobile phone (9.1%) are perceived to be almost as dangerous as drink driving (9.5%). (Using a scale where 0 is ‘Not at all dangerous’ and 10 is ‘Extremely dangerous’.)
  • Nearly one in 10 Victorians has a motorcycle licence, yet motorcyclists made up 17% of fatalities in 2019.
  • 73% of participants report feeling stressed while driving, particularly in city areas.
  • Nearly a quarter of participants purchased a new or used car during the year, with only 8% of people indicating they upgraded their car for improved safety features.

2017 Road Safety Monitor

Purpose Measure and track changes in road user perceptions, attitudes and self-reported behaviours and identify potential areas of road safety concern in the community
Target population Victorian car licence holders and registered vehicle owners
Survey Size N = 4,802 invitations. n = 1742 completed surveys. Response rate = 36% completion rate
Methodology Sample drawn from VicRoads' driver licensing and vehicle registration databases VicRoads database. Questionnaires mailed, completed in hardcopy, on-line, or over the phone. Mail and telephone follow up.
Frequency and timing Annual survey from 2001-2016, conducted between August and October each year. From 2017, this survey has become a continuous survey.
Survey partner Wallis Group  

2016 Road Safety Monitor

Purpose Measure and track changes in road user perceptions, attitudes and self-reported behaviours and identify potential areas of road safety concern in the community
Target population Victorian car licence holders and registered vehicle owners
Survey Size N = 1,847 invitations. n = 727 completed surveys. Response rate = 39% completion rate
Methodology Sample drawn from VicRoads' driver licensing and vehicle registration databases VicRoads database. Questionnaires mailed, completed in hardcopy, on-line, or over the phone. Mail and telephone follow up.
Frequency and timing Annual survey from 2001-2016, conducted between August and October each year. From 2017, this survey has become a continuous survey.
Survey partner Wallis Group

2015 Road Safety Monitor

Purpose Measure and track changes in road user perceptions, attitudes and self-reported behaviours and identify potential areas of road safety concern in the community
Target population Victorian car licence holders and registered vehicle owners
Survey Size N = 2,000 invitations. n = 961 completed surveys. Response rate = 48.1%
Methodology Sample drawn from VicRoads' driver licensing and vehicle registration databases VicRoads database. Questionnaires mailed, completed in hardcopy, on-line, or over the phone. Mail and telephone follow up.
Frequency and timing Annual survey since 2001. Conducted August to October, analysis and reporting November to January. Since 2014, two waves of the RSM are run – a shorter 'Pulse' version, and the standard 'Main' version.
Survey partner Social Research Centre 

You can find earlier results in the Surveys and Research archive.

Motorcycle Client Research

So that we could get a better understanding of the main causes of motorcycle crashes, the TAC surveyed close to 1,000 riders who have crashed to establish what the key factors to both on and off-road motorcycle crashes.

Purpose The aim of the research was to better understand the factors contributing to crashes, crash circumstances and to understand the key differences between injured on-road and off-road motorcyclists.   
  
Survey Size N = 3,200 invitations. n = 1,441 contacts, n 964 completed surveys. Response rate = 71%
Methodology A random sample of TAC clients who had been injured in motorcycle crashes occurring between 2010 -2014 were approached to take part.
Frequency and timing Ad hoc survey.
Survey partner Ipsos Social Research Institute

Motorcycle Monitor

2022 Motorcycle Monitor

2021 Motorcycle Monitor

Report highlights:

  • an increase in respondents admitting to exceeding the speed limit in a 60km/h zone (41 %), while 45 % confess to exceeding the limit in a 100km/h speed zone.
  • nearly all active riders wear a helmet ‘all the time’ (96 %)
  • 55 % of respondents are wearing proper motorcycle riding pants every ride.
  • wearing of boots on every ride has declined (76 % in 2020 vs 68 % in 2021).

2019 Motorcycle Monitor

2018 Motorcycle Monitor

This survey is used to measure and track changes in the attitudes and self-reported behaviours of Victorian motorcycle riders. The sample is randomly drawn from Victorian motorcycle licence and/or registration holders. In the 2018 Motorcycle Monitor new questions were introduced relating to: self-perception of riding ability, safety features riders currently have and want, type of helmet used, and speed limits of the roads respondents ride on.

Key findings, 2018 Motorcycle Monitor:

  • The findings from the 2018 Motorcycle Monitor suggest that there has been a shift in attitudes in the last five years towards less concern about speeding but greater concern about fatigue and drink or drug riding.
  • Regarding attitudes to speeding, over the past five years there has been a shift away from a belief in the strict enforcement of the speed limit among active riders. The percentage believing in a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to speeding in both 60kph and 100kph zones has declined (i.e. you should be booked the moment you go over the speed limit).
  • Interestingly, while there has been a decline in the percentage rating riding a few kms over the speed limit as dangerous in the last three years, the percentage of active riders rating fatigue or drink and drug riding as dangerous has increased: 
    • Riding with an illegal BAC (the percentage rating this as dangerous increased from 92% in 2015 to 96% in 2018)
    • Drowsy riding (from 88% in 2015 to 94% in 2018) and
    • Riding after taking a small amount of alcohol with prescription drugs (from 86% in 2015 to 91% in 2018).
  • In 2018 respondents are more likely to think of themselves as having above average riding ability (42% vs. 7% believing they are below average), and that simply because a person may be aware of a motorcycle safety feature does not mean they would like to have that safety feature – or know that they currently have it on their current motorcycle.
  • Two-thirds of those who always wear a helmet will always wear a full-face helmet.
  • 51% of the time was spent riding on roads with speed limits of 80kmh or more.

Our Sixth Motorcycle Monitor research was conducted in 2017 with participants drawn from Victorian motorcycle licence holders and owners of registered motorbikes.

Purpose Measure and track changes in road user attitudes and self-reported behaviour and identify potential areas of concern in the community
Target population Victorian motorcycle licence holders and owners of registered motorcycles
Survey size N=2770 invitations. n=1027 completed surveys. Response rate = 37%
Methodology Sample drawn from VicRoads database. Invitation letter with hard copy survey mailed, completed online or by phone. Reminder letter sent by mail; and SMS and telephone follow up.
Frequency and timing Continuous survey conducted in all four quarters of 2017, prior to this survey was conducted once in a year between July to August;
Survey partner Wallis Group

You can find earlier results in the Surveys and Research archive.

For further information on our research please contact the Road Safety and Marketing team via email