Traffic fatalities are rising. In fact, 2015 showed the highest year-over-year percent increase in 50 years, with an 8% rise in traffic deaths, and 2016 is likely headed in the same direction.
That’s not a pretty number, so, what’s the deal? EverQuote decided to find out why. Turns out, drivers’ perceptions don’t exactly match up with reality. By analyzing survey responses and driving data, it’s clear that American drivers have a few delusions about their driving habits. Take a look at the infographic below to learn more about “The Confused State of Distracted Driving,” and read the full report here.
Click infographic for hi-res version:
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Some Key Findings...
- Most drivers appear to care about safety on the roads in theory, but not as much when they’re physically behind the wheel: 61% of drivers don’t think their state does enough to stop distracted driving, yet 55% admit to using their phone behind the wheel in the past 30 days.
- Based on the miles drivers are distracted on the road each year, Americans could take 4.5 million trips around the world without looking up from their phones.
- Drivers may not be telling the truth. About 56% of drivers self-reported using their phone within the last 30 days. However, EverDrive data suggests that actually 96% of those drivers have used their phones within the past 30 days.
- Drivers may be unaware of some of the most dangerous actions behind the wheel. Only 2.6% of drivers feel the scariest thing to see a driver do is interact with passengers, and yet 57% of distracted driving accidents are caused by passenger interactions.
- Over half of all driving time is spent at least 10 mph over that legal limit, even though speeding increases crash risk. Furthermore, 42% of drivers don’t consider driving 10 mph over the limit speeding.
What Can Drivers Do to Be Safer?
Drivers may be out of the loop when it comes to recognizing their own dangerous driving habits behind the wheel. EverQuote hopes this study and infographic will help open up drivers’ minds to the reckless driving behavior taking place on the road. Here are some tips to drive safely.
Stop driving distractedly. Whether it’s talking to a passenger or reaching for your phone, all distractions are dangerous. Focus on the road. Anything else can wait.
Be aware that speeding kills. Speeding increases your crash risk by nearly 10%. Consider that the next time you go to push the gas pedal a little harder.
Test your skills. See how good of a driver you are with EverDrive. Receive trip scores, get tips, and improve upon what you already know to better your driving habits. You can also test yourself by taking a defensive driving class.
Share your knowledge. If you’re a passenger in a car with a distracted driver, speak up. Do what you can to encourage others to be safer drivers. At the end of the day, it only matters so much how safe you are, if all the other drivers on the road aren’t following through.