Drivers see distracted driving as problem, but still engage in risky behavior

A new AAA Foundation survey indicates that  nearly all drivers see  distracted driving is a problem and fear the situation is getting worse.

 

 At the same time, a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ culture persists  on the road,  AAA and its Wilmington-based affiliate, AAA Mid-Atlantic reported. 

 

The annual Traffic Safety Culture Index survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that 88 percent of drivers believe distracted driving is on the rise, topping other risky behaviors:

The number of drivers who report using a cellphone behind the wheel jumped 46 percent since 2013.

 

Almost half of all drivers  report recently talking on a hand-held phone while driving and nearly 35 percent have sent a text or email. Despite their own behavior, many drivers (nearly 58 percent ) say talking on a cellphone behind the wheel is a very serious threat to their personal safety, while 78 percent believe that texting is a significant danger.

 

A  recent study from the AAA Foundation  shows drivers talking on a cellphone are up to four times as likely to crash while those who text are up to eight times as likely to be involved in a crash.

 

“What we have seen year after year is this ‘do as I say, not as I do’ behavior, a sense that ‘I can text but you can’t,” which is extremely troubling,” says Ken Grant, manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

 

Delaware State Police report that in 2016, there were 6, 095 crashes where a distracted driver was a contributing factor (23 percent of all reportable traffic crashes in 2016). Of those crashes, 7 were fatal (6 percent of all fatal crashes in 2016).

 

 Drivers in the AAA survey believe the problem of distracted driving has increased over the past three years, with nearly 50 percent reporting that they regularly see drivers emailing or texting while driving.

 

Although federal estimates indicate the number of distracted driving crashes has dropped two percent, that number is likely erroneous given that distracted driving is difficult to detect following a crash, which makes it one of the most under-reported traffic safety issues.

 

For instance, according to government estimates, distraction plays a factor in 14 percent of all crashes. However, past AAA Foundation research with dash-cam video observing teen drivers (one of the most vulnerable driving populations), determined that distraction was a factor in 58 percent of crashes, 44 percent more than federal estimates.

 

“The number of distractions behind the wheel is increasing, from phone apps to in-vehicle technology, increasing the urgency to educate all drivers on the dangers of distraction,” says Grant. “This is something we are, of course, addressing in our classrooms but distraction is not just a teen driving issue. It’s everybody’s issue.”