Survey: Distracted Drivers Still Think They Are Safe Drivers
A new survey from auto insurance comparison website Everquote indicates that there is a troubling disconnect between drivers’ beliefs about how safe they drive and their behavior.
According to a survey of 2,300 motorists, more than 95 percent of respondents said that they feel they are safe drivers. Unfortunately, half of those drivers admitted that they use their phones when they are behind the wheel.
In fact, data from the Everdrive app on 35,000 drivers reveals that 90 percent of them used their cell phones behind the wheel at least once in the previous month.
Drivers average one call per trip and are usually focused on their phones for 0.4 miles of every 11 miles traveled.
These findings are alarming, particularly when you consider that there has been an increase in fatal distracted driving accidents. From 2014 to 2015, distracted driving fatalities increased more than eight percent, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Speeding is also on the Rise
Even though driving 10 mph over the speed limit increases drivers’ accident risk by almost 10 percent, the Everquote survey shows that many motorists do not have a problem with it.
More than 40 percent of survey respondents do not think that traveling 10 mph over the speed limit is considered speeding. Meanwhile, 10 percent of respondents think that traveling 20 mph over the speed limit is not speeding.
This is especially concerning since the NHTSA found that traffic fatalities related to speeding increased three percent from 2014 to 2015.
Contact the Sacramento car accident lawyers at the Arnold Law Firm if you or a loved one suffered an injury or died in a traffic accident. A personal injury lawyer from our firm can offer a completely free consultation to review your claim and discuss all of your legal rights.
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