27 Sep Americans Less Concerned About Dangerous Driving Behaviors, AAA Reports

Originally posted August 22, 2013 on https://www.automotive-fleet.com

Americans are less concerned about dangerous driving behaviors, from drunk and drowsy driving to texting or emailing while driving, according to a new survey from AAA. The survey found that the percentage of people who believe that driving after drinking is a serious threat dropped to 69 percent in 2012, from a high of 90 percent in 2009. Next, the number of people who consider drowsy driving a very serious threat fell from 71 percent in 2009 to 46 percent in 2012.

Regarding texting while driving, the number of people who believe this is a very serious threat fell 6 percent, from 87 percent in 2009 to 81 percent in 2012. During this period, AAA stated the number of people who admit to texting while driving increased 5 percent, from 21 to 26 percent. Lastly, the number of people who consider running red lights to be completely unacceptable fell from 77 percent in 2009 to 70 percent in 2012. A total of 38 percent of respondents admitted to running a red light during the previous month, according to the AAA survey.

The result of this attitude has been an estimated 5.3 percent increase in the number of traffic facilities, at more than 34,000 in 2012. AAA said this is the first annual increase in seven years.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety analyzed four years of survey data, 2009 – 2012, for its annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, which tracks the public’s views of driving safety. AAA said it administered the survey to more than 11,000 Americans ages 16 and older between 2009 and 2012 to determine the results detailed above.