Almost three quarters of Queensland's high school students have admitted to being scared for their lives as car passengers.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The research was done as part of the road safety education program for the state's peak motoring body, RACQ.
RACQ spokeswoman Clare Hunter said the research highlighted the alarming reality that faced young adults when they hopped in the passenger seat.
“Teens can feel they’re in danger in a car for a range of reasons – the driver might be travelling too fast, or perhaps they’ve been drinking or are distracted,” Ms Hunter said.
“Safety isn’t just up to the driver – passengers also have a role to play too.
"Not only can they lower their risk of [a] crash by not being a distraction, but also by speaking up when they’re feeling their lives are at risk.”
As well as showing 74 per cent of teenagers had been scared for their lives, the data also showed more than 80 per cent of teens admitted to distracting the driver.
Ms Hunter said dancing to songs, offering food to the driver or holding up a phone to show the driver an Instagram post could distract them for two seconds.
"When driving at 60km/h that's enough to travel up to 33 metres completely blind," she said.
Ms Hunter said the data had prompted the motoring body to issue a wake-up call to teens and their parents in the lead up to school holidays.
“We know this is a time to celebrate the end of term but behaving sensibly on the roads could be the difference between lifelong memories and a life lost," she said.
