People know distracted driving is unsafe but do it anyway, survey shows

A vast majority of U.S. drivers believe distracted driving is “very or extremely dangerous,” yet at least 1 in 4 admit to engaging in it, results of a recent survey show.

For its annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety surveyed more than 2,700 licensed drivers about their attitudes and behaviors while behind the wheel.

The results: Around 93% of the drivers say both texting/emailing and reading on a handheld cellphone are “very” or “extremely” dangerous. Despite this, 37% said they’ve read a text/email while driving, while 27% reported having sent a text/email while driving.

When the foundation used the findings to classify six types of drivers, only 34.9% qualified as “safe,” meaning those who “rarely engaged in any risky driving behavior.” 

Speeding drivers (32.6%) and distracted drivers (19%) were the next largest categories.

“Despite acknowledging the dangers, some drivers continue to engage in potentially deadly behaviors, particularly speeding,” said David Yang, president and executive director of the foundation. “Understanding the different types of risky driving behaviors and the characteristics of drivers who engage in them is crucial for developing targeted interventions to achieve safe mobility.”