Young Queensland drivers are too addicted to their mobile phones to stop texting while driving, research shows.
The Queensland University of Technology's Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety (CARRS) study has found young drivers go to great lengths to keep texting despite knowing it is against the law and highly dangerous.
Half of drivers aged between 17 and 25 in the survey admitted covertly texting at the wheel once or twice a week to avoid being seen by police.
Just 24 per cent admitted running a higher risk by openly texting.
"The behaviour of concealing this texting is so dangerous, you are taking your eyes so far off the road to do it," CARRS' Cassandra Gauld told AAP.
"The study showed drivers' perceived need for connectiveness may over-ride their perceived risk of engaging in these illegal activities."
The CARRS researchers want more advertising targeting young drivers, saying it may be difficult to enforce the handset ban.
Its research suggests a driver's moral code informed their actions; those who thought texting while driving was acceptable were less likely to hide it.
Ms Gauld will present the research at the Australasian Road Safety Conference in Adelaide on Friday.
Sixty per cent of drivers admitted reading texts covertly while driving, against 31 per cent who did so openly.
RACQ added driver distraction - including mobile phone use - to its Fatal Five list of dangerous behaviours last year.
A poll of its 1.2 million members showed 93 per cent favour greater police action against rule breakers.
RACQ senior road safety adviser Joel Tucker said education, police enforcement and technology could help prevent law-breaking.
But he said RACQ's massage was simple.
"Choose a more appropriate time to do it, whether that is parked in a safe place or waiting until you get to where you are going."
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