Survey: Disconnect Between Drivers Beliefs and Actions Related to Distracted Driving
Survey: Disconnect Between Drivers Beliefs and Actions Related to Distracted Driving
In a new survey from auto insurer Everquote, 96 percent of respondents said that they consider themselves to be safe drivers, even though more than half of them said they use their phones when they are driving.
This is particularly troubling given the increase in fatal accidents involving distracted driving. Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that these types of car accidents increased more than eight percent from 2014 to 2015.
In addition to surveying 2,300 drivers, Everquote also looked at data on 35,000 drivers from the Everdrive app. Data from the Everdrive app showed that more than 90 percent of drivers used their cell phones while driving at least once in the last month.
The app data also showed that drivers make one call per trip on average, and drivers are typically engaged with their phones for almost half a mile of every 11 miles they travel.
NHTSA Data on Speeding
While there has been a lot of attention on distracted driving in recent months, speeding is still a major problem on U.S. roadways. The NHTSA data from last month revealed a three percent increase in traffic fatalities from speeding from 2014 to 2015.
Unfortunately, the Everquote survey found that many drivers do not seem to have a problem traveling 10 or even 20 mph over the speed limit.
According to the survey, 42 percent of respondents do not consider it speeding if you are traveling at 10 mph over the speed limit. A smaller percentage, 10 percent, do not consider it speeding to travel at 20 mph over the speed limit.
These are very dangerous beliefs, as national data shows that you increase your risk of an accident by more than nine percent when you increase your speed by 10 mph.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car accident due to speeding or distracted driving, contact the car accident attorneys at Simien & Simien for a free consultation. We will inform you of all of your legal options, which may include a car accident lawsuit to recover compensation for damages.
Call us today at (800) 374-8422 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form.
