Most everyone agrees that there are a lot of bad drivers on the road. Specifically, there are a lot of dangerous drivers. Despite all of the new automotive safety technology (or maybe in part because people often tend to rely on it), things aren’t getting better.
Some behaviors can’t be controlled by technology. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety says that “fatal crashes involving risky behaviors like impaired driving and speeding remain an epidemic on our roadways.”
You might think that almost no one considers themselves a dangerous driver. However, a recent AAA report found that drivers acknowledged a wide range of risky behaviors. The survey asked drivers whether they’d engaged in various behaviors over the past month. Here’s a bit of what they said.
1. Speeding
Slightly under a quarter of those surveyed confessed to driving 15 miles per hour (mph) or more over the speed limit on highways and interstates and 10 mph over the limit on residential streets.
Most of those who admitted to speeding didn’t confess to any other risky behavior. Less than 3% admitted to all risky behaviors listed.
2. Distracted and aggressive driving
Just over 17% admitted to distracted and aggressive driving. Most of the distracted driving involved sending and reading texts. Aggressive driving behaviors included changing lanes quickly and running through stop lights.
3. Driving under the influence
Finally, as you’d expect, only about 1% admitted that they had driven under the influence during the past 30 days. Certainly, the number of DUI arrests and convictions suggests that this number in reality is much higher.
All of these behaviors make our roads more dangerous. However, AAA is focusing on speeding. As one official stated, “Focusing on speeding drivers will deter other risky driving behaviors like impaired driving and red-light running…[and] will have the greatest impact on safety.”
Sometimes, no matter how careful we are, we can’t avoid these drivers. If you’ve suffered injuries in a collision caused by a reckless or negligent driver, you need the compensation to which you’re entitled for medical bills and other expenses. These can run into many thousands of dollars, so it’s wise to have legal guidance on your side.