Philadelphia Drivers Engaging in Dangerous Behaviors

Throughout Philadelphia and surrounding areas, motorists face risks on the road from drivers who know the best practices for safety but who choose not to follow them. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has released a traffic safety culture index every year for the past seven years. This year’s report once again shows that drivers continue to engage in high-risk behaviors behind the wheel that they criticize as being “unacceptable” when done by other motorists.

A personal injury lawyer knows that many of these high risk behaviors that drivers choose to engage in can significantly increase the risk of car accidents. If drivers simply followed their own behavioral recommendations for others, many more collisions could be prevented.

Driver Attitude Survey Shows Motorists Continue to Engage in Risky Behaviors

Motor vehicle collisions affect many drivers throughout the United States. Almost one in 10 motorists has been seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident, and one in five has been involved in a serious collision. Almost one out of every three motorists has a friend or relative who has been seriously hurt in a crash.

Drivers know the types of behaviors that are likely to lead to accidents. For example:

• 61.3 percent of survey respondents said aggressive driving has become a bigger problem today than it was three years earlier.
• 85 percent of respondents said that distracted driving is a bigger problem now than it was three years ago.
• 41.6 percent expressed concern that drunk driving is more of a problem.
• 45.6 percent said that drugged driving is a bigger problem than it was three years ago.
• 57.5 percent of drivers say that running a red light is very dangerous and 72.4 percent said that it was completely unacceptable to go through a traffic light.
• 45.2 percent of drivers said speeding is dangerous and 64.6 percent described speeding more than 10 MPH faster than the limit on residential roads is completely unacceptable.
• 78.6 percent of drivers described texting and emailing behind the wheel as a very serious threat to safety, and 84.4 percent thought it was unacceptable to text and drive.
• 45 percent of drivers indicated drowsy driving was a serious threat and 81.2 percent described it as unacceptable.

Knowing what not to do, however, is not enough to stop motorists from doing it. For example:

• 35.6 percent of drivers admitted they had run a red light in the prior 30 days before taking the survey.
• 43.5 percent of motorists admitted to exceeding the speed limit on a residential road by at least 10 MPH in the prior 30 days.
• 43.5 percent of drivers said they have texted or sent an email over the course of the past month.
• 29.4 percent of motorists said they have driven while they were fatigued in the past month.

Five out of six motorists would support the adoption of a vision zero plan by their state to try to reduce crashes. However, drivers shouldn’t rely on states to set laws. They should start doing the things they know are safe so they can protect themselves and others and reduce the risk of a deadly accident.

Our personal injury attorneys in Philadelphia are dedicated to fighting for the rights of accident victims. Contact Flager Law at 215-953-5200 or visit https://www.flagerlaw.com today to schedule a consultation. Serving Philadelphia, Conshohocken and surrounding areas.