Survey Finds a Majority of Drivers Text and Drive, Speed and Run Red Lights

Posted on behalf of Pfeifer Morgan & Stesiak

on February 28, 2017

. Updated on March 23, 2022

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distracted driverRisky behaviors like texting and driving, speeding and red-light running are not limited to young drivers.

More than two thirds of drivers in six different age groups, ranging from 16 to 18-years-old and 75 years or older, engaged in these behaviors in the last 30 days, according to a survey recently published by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Researchers ranked 2,511 licensed drivers by age group and found that the following percentages admitted to risky driving behaviors in the past month:

  • Drivers 60 to 74 years old: 67.3 percent
  • Drivers 75 years old or older: 69.1 percent
  • Drivers 16 to 18 years old: 69.3 percent
  • Drivers 40 to 59 years old: 75.2 percent
  • Drivers 25 to 39 years old: 79.2 percent
  • Drivers 19 to 24 years old: 88.4 percent

Young millennials, between the ages of 19 and 24 years old, were by far the worst behaved drivers. Researchers found that these drivers were 1.6 times as likely as all drivers to say they read texts or emails while behind the wheel.

Young millennial drivers were also 1.4 times as likely as all drivers to say they traveled 10 mph above the speed limit on a residential street.

The survey also revealed that drivers have contradictory beliefs about driving behaviors:

  • 80 percent of all drivers stated that speeding is wrong, but almost half admitted to speeding at least one time in the past month.
  • While every respondent said drunk driving is dangerous, more than 12 percent admitted that they had driven after drinking in the past 30 days.

Other Important Findings

The AAA survey raises a lot of concerns about the habits of drivers of all ages. Fortunately, there were some encouraging findings, including:

  • 87 percent of all drivers stated that they had never driven when they believed their blood alcohol concentration was near the legal alcohol limit.
  • Respondents who said they used marijuana said they did not drive within an hour of using the drug.
  • 88 percent of all drivers stated that it is not OK to drive without wearing a seat belt.
  • 82 percent of drivers said they support legislation requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets.

If you were injured in a car accident with a negligent driver, contact our South Bend car accident attorneys and find out if you are entitled to compensation for your pain, suffering, lost wages and medical bills.

Our personal injury lawyers do not charge legal fees unless your claim has a favorable outcome, either through a settlement or jury verdict. Do not hesitate to call Pfeifer, Morgan & Stesiak to find out how we can help you.

Live Chat or call our firm at (844) 678-1800.

Pfeifer, Morgan & Stesiak

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