In recent years, motor vehicle deaths have increased significantly, and the National Safety Council recently identified some of the most common driver beliefs and behaviors that put everyone on the road at risk.
During the past year, NSC surveys showed the surprising rates of dangerous habits and opinions. Researchers said that these results may explain why fatalities were on the rise. They also said that their findings showed the urgency of promoting awareness of misconceptions and dangerous habits.
Experts said that while most drivers understand the basic dangers and risks on roadways, they do not take the proper steps to make their own driving habits safer.
Many people still believe that bad things are more likely to happen to other drivers than to them. This is even true among drivers who admit to driving distracted.
Here are the shocking results of the survey:
- More than 45% of drivers said that it was safe to send text messages using voice dictation or manual input.
- More than 70% of drivers said that they could drink three alcoholic beverages before they were too impaired to drive.
- Approximately 35% of teens admitted to checking their social media notifications or interacting on social media while driving.
- More than 15% of teens who were in accidents said that their own distractions were the cause of the crash.
- More than 30% of drivers felt that they could drive safely with fewer than four hours of sleep.
- Nearly 15% of drivers admitted to using marijuana while driving within the past month.
- More than 30% of drivers felt that new vehicles could practically drive themselves and did not require as much concentration to operate.
- While only 25% of drivers felt that their own distractions were dangerous, nearly 70% said that they were concerned about the risky behavior of other drivers.
- About 45% of people said that they felt compelled to check cellphone notifications while driving because of demanding employers, and about 45% of those who reported feeling this way had crashed within the last few years.
The takeaway
Use the above list as a cautionary tale of what not to do when on the roads. Don’t think that you somehow have superior powers of concentration compared to other drivers.
Don’t touch your phone while behind the wheel and comply with your state’s distracted driving laws.