New research shows American drivers are getting lax about dangerous driving habits, placing you and your family at risk, say Jacksonville auto accident attorneys. When it comes to dangerous driving habits, America increasingly is adopting a “do as I say, not as I do” attitude, according to a new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
That mindset poses a constant threat to you and your family, say auto accident attorneys with Jacksonville’s Harrell and Harrell. An analysis of four years of public surveys brought researchers to some troubling conclusions about American drivers’ growing complacency. Between 2009 and 2012:
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- The number of people who believe driving after drinking is a serious threat dropped from 90 percent to 69 percent;
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- The number of people who consider drowsy driving a very serious threat declined from 71 percent to 46 percent;
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- The number of people who believe that texting or emailing while driving is a very serious threat decreased from 87 percent to 81 percent;
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- The number of people who admit to texting while driving jumped from 21 percent to 26 percent;
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- The number of people who consider red-light running to be completely unacceptable declined from 77 percent to 70 percent. In fact, more than one-third (38 percent) admitted to running a red light within the previous month.
The most disconcerting find by far is that this growing complacency is accompanied by a 5.3-percent increase in the number of traffic fatalities annually, totaling more than 34,000 in 2012. That figure represents a death on America’s roadways every 15 minutes – the first annual increase in seven years, according to statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. What’s more, fatalities tend to be innocent passengers, pedestrians and cyclists far more often than offending drivers. Young people are at highest risk. Statistics show that auto accidents kill more people aged 5-34 than any other cause of death. Additionally, more than 2.3 million people also suffer serious injuries from crashes each year.
If you or your dependents are victims of a crash caused by someone else’s drunken, distracted or otherwise careless driving, get medical help immediately. Then, contact an experienced auto accident lawyer. Jacksonville-based Harrell and Harrell represents clients from throughout Northeast and Central Florida as well as Southeast Georgia. Reach us at 800-251-1111.