“Changing driver behaviors is not rocket science … it’s harder,” says Peter Kissinger, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety President and CEO.
What he’s talking about is the attitude of drivers. Motorists across the county have what AAA calls the “do as I say, not as I do” attitude, meaning drivers feel that they are exempt from all of the safe driving habits that every motorist should be following. For this reason, car accidents in Indiana and elsewhere continue to plague roadways.Our Indianapolis car accident attorneys understand that most drivers in the U.S. say that they would like to have safer roadways and that they support enforcement efforts to make that a reality. Still, with more laws on the books and more officers on the roadways, drivers refuse to give up their own dangerous driving habits, while expecting that others will give up theirs. Our roadways are filled with these hypocritical drivers, the ones who think others should “do as I say, not as I do.”
In 2011, there were nearly 32,900 lives lost because of car accidents in the U.S. While this is the lowest number of fatalities recorded in 60 years, it still illustrates that roadway safety has a long way to go. According to AAA, someone dies in a car accident in the U.S. every 16 minutes.
AAA recently conducted a survey to get into the minds of drivers. The findings were alarming and illustrated that drivers exercised very little personal responsibility for roadway safety.
The Traffic Safety Culture Index concluded that:
-More than 85 percent of surveyed drivers said that it was unacceptable for a driver to not wear a seat belt, but about a quarter of drivers admitted that they were guilty of the dangerous habit.
-A majority of drivers felt it was unsafe for a driver to travel more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit on a residential road, but still most of the surveyed drivers admitted that they had done it at least once in the last 30 days.
-More than three quarters of drivers said that they felt that it was unacceptable to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle after driving, but more than 10 percent of drivers admitted that they were guilty of tipsy driving at least once over the last month.
-More than 90 percent of drivers think that it is dangerous to text message while driving. Despite the fears, nearly 40 percent admitted to sending and receiving texts behind the wheel at least once in the last 30 days.
-More than 65 percent of those who were surveyed said that talking on a cell phone behind the wheel of a motor vehicle was pretty dangerous, but there were more than 30 percent of drivers who said that they’re doing it on a regular basis.
-Speeding was another action that most drivers frowned upon, yet a good portion of drivers admitted that they were in fact guilty of it.
-A good portion of drivers disapprove of drowsy driving, more than 95 percent of to exact. Still, about a third of all drivers said that they’ve been drowsy at the wheel at least once in the last 30 days.
What this study truly illustrates is that, despite all of the safe driving desires of Americans, a majority of drivers still admit to engaging in some of the most dangerous driving habits. AAA and our Indiana car accident lawyers ask that drivers start exercising their safe driving ideals instead of simply relying on others to act responsibly behind the wheel.
If you, a member of your family or someone you love have been injured in a car accident in Indiana, call Burton Padove for a free consultation to learn about how to ensure receipt for financial compensation for injuries you or others sustain at 219-836-2200.
More Blog Entries:
Flaky Laws Fail to Reduce Risks of Distraction-Related Car Accidents in Indiana, Indiana Injury And Family Lawyer Blog, January 11, 2012
Make the New Year’s Resolution to Reduce Risks of Car Accidents in Gary, Indiana Injury And Family Lawyer Blog, January 4, 2012