I saw this on Lauren’s AOL “headlines” and felt it needed to be quoted:
“WASHINGTON (May 27) – A majority of drivers admit they routinely speed, eat or even read while driving in a new poll designed to measure drivers’ attitudes about safety.
Ninety-one percent of drivers of all ages acknowledged at least one risky activity in the previous six months, including 71 percent who said they sped; 59 percent who ate while driving; 37 percent who used a cell phone; 28 percent who wore no seatbelt and 26 percent who used no signal when turning. Fourteen percent admitted to reading while driving.
At the same time, drivers were likely to say that someone else on the road is more dangerous than they are. Drivers ages 26-44 were most likely to engage in risky driving, but when that age group was asked which drivers should be retested to make sure they’re driving safely, 83 percent said seniors and 69 percent said teens. Only 56 percent said everyone should be retested.”
Notice how I made that passage bold in order to make it stand out…
Personally, I probably fall into the category with the rest of you. I don’t drive perfect, in fact I’m probably far from it, but I do think I’m a “good” driver. I also think everyone else on the road is a moron. Of course I don’t drive badly… no, never… not me. Just goes to show that everyone would rather blame someone else, even me. I do believe the statistics are rather accurate for once. Most of the “risky” drivers are above 25 but most of them point the finger at teenagers for being worse. Oh well. Just thought I’d share. Oh, and if you’re wondering where these numbers came from:
“The survey, released Tuesday, was conducted for Volvo Cars of North America, AAA and Partners for Highway Safety as part of a new safety campaign.”
Ok, off to class. Wish me luck with my presentations today.
I hate to burst your bubble, but the truth is that about 60% of the fatal accidents in the USA involve a driver of age 24 or younger. When you compare this to the fact that young drivers only account for about 20% of the drivers on the road, the conclusion is obvious. It is also true that older (65 and above) drivers also become more dangerous, but they also represent a very small percentage of the drivers and never reach the fatal accident rate that young drivers attain.
Sorry – but this is what I do for a living and the numbers are real – the survey reported on AOL is simply that – a survey. For example, the number quoted for cell phone use is obviously wrong – almost everyone who owns a cell phone has used it while driving in the last 30 days!
P.S. The data also supports restrictions on teenage driving hours, and carrying passengers!
Oh, I’m not saying teenagers are good drivers by any means. I just thought it was interesting that when surveyed, the older age group admitted to being more risky. Perhaps the teenagers were afraid to answer honestly. Personally I think just about anyone, regardless of age, that isn’t paying attention to his/her driving is dangerous. I would suggest banning car phone use all together and I would move the driving age to 18, probably with equal time/passenger restrictions as the current 16 year olds.
But that’s just me. And, for the record, I’m pretty convinced your number have always been more accurate, I just thought it was an interesting survey. I also don’t trust AOL as far as I could throw them, so that certainly degrades their validity in my eyes.