Younger people may be more likely to engage in dangerous driving behaviors.
Millennials have gotten a bad rap in our society. This broadly-defined group of young people — anyone born between the early 1980’s and the early 2000’s — has been described as overly sensitive, entitled, idealistic, and impulsive. Far too many barrels of virtual ink have been wasted describing the problems of millennials, from how they can’t afford houses because they eat too much avocado toast to how they are all “boomerang” kids still living at home with their parents.
Much of the criticism of millennials is unfair. Yet according to one recent study by the American Automobile Association (more commonly known as AAA), one common criticism of millennials may have some very troubling real world implications. Because many millennials are always glued to their phones, many of them are practicing unsafe driving behavior as a result.
According to the AAA study, which surveyed 2,511 drivers between the ages of 19 and 24, millennial drivers display far risker driving behaviors than older adults and senior citizens. 88% of these drivers admitted to at least one risky driving behavior in the past month, including speeding or disobeying traffic signals traffic signals. Millennials acknowledged texting while driving at a rate of nearly twice the rate of older drivers. Nearly half of the millennial drivers surveyed reported running a red light — even if they could have stopped their car safely.
This survey coincides with a finding of a 7% increase in traffic accident fatalities between 2015 and 2016. Many legislators and other commentators have attributed this increase to the use of technology in cars. More than 2.5 million people are involved in car accidents each year — and many of these accidents involve the use of cellphones. Distracted driving may include talking on cellphones, texting, surfing the internet, being on social media, or even playing games. There have been multiple incidents involving car accidents where teenagers were taking Snapchat or Facebook live videos, attempting to show their friends that they were driving really fast.
While millennials are certainly not the only drivers on the road engaging in distracted driving or other dangerous driving behaviors, the AAA survey shows an alarming trend in the casual use of technology while driving and a lack of respect for the rules of the road. Failure to pay full attention while driving can lead to serious accidents which can have serious, life-long consequences.
If you have been injured in a car accident, you will need an experienced car accident attorney to help you recover for your losses. Contact the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker today at 800-333-0000 or info@larryhparker.com to schedule an appointment. We offer free initial consultations, where we will explain your rights and your options. We never charge a fee unless we recover money for you, and initial consultations are always free. Let us help you get the money that you deserve if you’ve been involved in a car, bus, pedestrian, bike, motorcycle, or any other type of accident.
