Motorists Say Distracted Driving Is Wrong—For Other Drivers
AAA survey exposes the rift between attitudes and engagement in bad driving behavior.
Many Americans value driving, but a new AAA driver survey reveals a disconnect between drivers’ attitudes and behaviors. For example, despite acknowledging the dangers of using cell phones to text and send emails while driving, many have admitted to doing so in the past month.
Traffic fatalities and serious injury-causing car accidents remain devastatingly high in the U.S. and Pennsylvania since the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s AAA driver attitudes survey helps explain what drivers are thinking behind the wheel and why this trend continues.
Drivers’ attitudes on distracted driving
Once again, the annual AAA study revealed that distracted driving and aggressive distracted driving are two of the most common forms of bad – and dangerous – driving behaviors on U.S. roads. In Pennsylvania, distracted driving has been an ongoing problem, with about 14,000 crashes attributed to unfocused drivers every year. Although anti-texting-and-driving laws have been passed and enforcement efforts have increased, it is still a factor in 11-15 percent of Pennsylvania car accidents.
Here’s what the AAA survey reveals about distracted driving:
- Drivers know it’s wrong. Drivers know that texting and driving and other forms of distracted driving – like eating, drinking, grooming, searching for items in the vehicle, etc. More than 90 percent of drivers say that both texting/emailing and reading on a hand-held cell phone are “very” or “extremely” dangerous. Meanwhile, it’s dangerous to hold and talk on a cell phone while driving, according to 76 percent of drivers. Almost 20 percent say that hands-free technology, like Bluetooth, is also dangerous.
- But they do it anyway. According to AAA, about 30-35 percent of American drivers engage in distracted driving at least once a month. This includes drivers who hold their phones while talking and driving, driving while reading texts and emails, and driving while manually typing or sending texts and emails. Over 16 percent of drivers say that they text and drive “a few times” each month, while about 5 percent say they do this “regularly” or “fairly often.”
- Almost 1 in 3 drivers admit to texting and driving recently. Around 28 percent of drivers say they have driven while manually typing a text or email within the last 30 days.
- Drivers support laws to end distracted driving. Almost 80 percent say they support laws against holding and talking on a phone while driving, while 42 percent say they would approve of a law against using hands-free tech to read/text/email while
driving. - Adults are the most distracted drivers. Although teens get flack for being on their phones a lot, it’s adults who are most likely to be texting behind the wheel. On average, distracted drivers are about 40 years of age, according to AAA. Women are slightly more likely to text and read messages while driving than men.
Injured in a crash? Get a law firm that does whatever it takes
If injured in a Pennsylvania car accident due to a distracted driver, you have legal options for compensation. This includes filing claims with your insurance, the at-fault driver’s insurance, or potentially pursuing a personal injury lawsuit. Even if a distracted driver is clearly at fault, navigating accident claims in Pennsylvania can be complex. However, an experienced personal injury lawyer can guide you through the process. At Romanow Law Group, our aggressive Pittsburgh car accident lawyers know how to build strong cases and always fight for maximum compensation. If you were injured in an accident, find out how we can help. Contact us for a free case evaluation.