Americans Name Distracted Driving the Largest On-Road Threat in New Study
Despite drivers' concerns about other motorists driving while distracted, most admitted to checking their phones while behind the wheel
Photo: Hershel Venkat Talluri
There are a lot of hazards that drivers can encounter during their commutes. However, one phenomenon stresses drivers out more than any other.
According to a survey conducted by Harris Insights and Analytics, 55 percent of Americans believe distracted driving is the top threat drivers face on the road.
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The survey included responses from 2,035 U.S. adults aged 18 or older. 1,665 of those surveyed were active drivers.
Other threats that respondents highlighted included driving under the influence (which 31 percent thought was the number one threat), aggressive driving (with 8 percent claiming it was the largest threat), and speeding (3 percent claimed this was their greatest source of on-road stress). Furthermore, survey participants named cellphones as the top source of distraction, at 43 percent.
Despite the fact that most drivers agreed that distracted driving presented the largest threat to them on the road, most respondents also claimed they used their phone while behind the wheel at some point. Eighty-one percent of millennial and Gen X survey participants claimed to use a cell phone in the car, while only 71 percent of Gen Z drivers claimed to do the same.
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There is some good news, though. Thirty-two percent of adults surveyed said they have started to put their phone on “do not disturb” mode, so they won’t be distracted by it.
According to the National Safety Council, at least nine Americans die every day due to an accident caused by a distracted driver. Still, that’s fewer fatalities than those caused by drunk drivers, with 30 fatalities every day.
This survey shows that drivers consider distracted driving to be a serious issue. Hopefully, those same drivers will remove the temptation of checking their phones while on the go.
Source: Detroit Free Press
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