• 06
  • January
    2012

A recent survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that, while drivers want U.S. roads to be safer, many still choose to practice unsafe driving behaviors such as drunk driving and texting while driving.

The unfortunate reality is that many car accidents in Florida and around the country are caused by drivers who know they are driving dangerously.

The data from the AAA Foundation's Traffic Safety Culture Index shows:

  • Texting while driving: While 94 percent of drivers consider texting while driving dangerous, 26 percent of drivers admit to texting while driving and 35 percent of drivers admit to reading text messages or emails while driving in the past month.
  • Seatbelts: Eighty-six percent of drivers believe it is vital to wear a seatbelt, but nearly 25 percent of drivers admit to driving without a seat belt in the past month.
  • Drunk driving: Ninety-seven percent of drivers consider drunk driving unacceptable, but more than 14 percent of drivers admit to driving drunk in the past year.
  • Drowsy driving: Ninety-six percent of drivers believe drowsy driving is dangerous driving, but 32 percent admit to driving drowsy in the last 30 days.
  • Speeding: Nearly three-quarters of drivers believe it is too dangerous to drive 15 mph or more over the speed limit on a freeway, but 52 percent admit to doing just that in the past month.

On the positive side, the number of lives lost in 2010 - 32,885 traffic deaths - is less than any other year since 1949. Of course, that means very little to the families who lost a loved one that year, as pointed out by the director of AAA Traffic Safety Culture, Michele Harris. "To reach zero deaths, each driver must take responsibility for ensuring they actively choose to be safer drivers," she said.

2012 marks a new beginning, a time for drivers to consider their own actions and make the choice to drive safely. We can only hope that the number of traffic fatalities continues to decrease - in Florida and across the nation. Accidents caused by negligent and reckless actions, such as distracted driving and drunk driving, are something we can all take action to prevent.

Source: WCTV, "Motorists Want Safer Roads in 2012 and Admit They Are Part of the Problem," AAA Release, Jan. 4, 2012.