Millennials and Distracted Driving
Every day in America, nearly 100 people lose their lives in car accidents. Starting in 2015, rates of highway fatalities began to climb after a 50-year decline. Naturally, studies are now underway to determine the exact causes of this turn, but most agree that distracted driving is a key element. One organization, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, has learned some shocking facts regarding millennial drivers and distractions.
Driving distractions have long been known to be a cause of many fatal accidents. This is because distractions reduce the time needed to react to a dangerous situation on the highway. When a driver is distracted and a situation requires quick braking or a change in course, seconds matter. At 60 mph, a car travels 88 feet in one second. That is the same distance as a nine-story building is tall. For good reason, New Jersey bans the use of cell phones while driving. Distractions and driving are a dangerous mix.
What the AAA Study Found Regarding Millennials and Distracted Driving
After conducting a survey of 2,500 participants from around the nation, AAA found that although all age groups reported high levels of dangerous habits, millennial drivers topped the list. The millennial age group was defined as ages 19–25, so this group reported more unsafe practices behind the wheel than even teen drivers. The study found that roughly 88 percent of this group admitted to engaging in texting while driving, speeding, and running stop lights.
Some participants even admitted that although they knew that texting while driving was very dangerous, they found themselves unable to control the behavior. Of course, it should be noted that although most surveyed admitted to unsafe driving practices, about 12 percent of the millennial generation seem to be conscientious drivers.
Still, aside from most millennial drivers’ admissions of engaging in poor habits, many also believe that texting while driving is acceptable – even though one-third of participants personally knew of someone fatally injured in a car crash. Perhaps this explains why the majority of total participants claimed that driving without a seat belt is a bad idea, yet one in six fail to do so.
In an ironic twist, 88 percent also believe there should be a complete ban on texting while driving.
Whether millennials believe that distracted driving habits such as cell phone use or texting is wise or not, some will eventually learn the hard truth: most accidents can be avoided but are not because many drivers are neglecting safe driving practices.
Piscataway Car Accident Lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr Help Victims of Distracted Driving Crashes
If you or your loved ones have been injured in a car accident, call our Piscataway car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr at 732-537-8570, or contact us online for a free consultation. Our offices are located in Highland Park, New Jersey, and we serve clients in Middlesex County, including the communities of Highland Park, Somerset, New Brunswick, Edison, South River, Sayreville, Metuchen, East Brunswick, South Plainfield, Fords, Middlesex, Old Bridge, Iselin, Bound Brook, Perth Amboy, and Colonia, New Jersey.
