The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently announced that 88 percent of young millennial drivers engaged in at least one incident of risky behavior in the last month while behind the wheel. This earns them the dubious honor of being the drivers that are most likely to get into accidents or cause them.
These risky behaviors included speeding, running a red light as well as texting, using a smartphone app or using email while driving. With traffic-related deaths increasing more than 7 percent (the largest increase in 50 years) to 35,092 in 2015 as well as an estimated increase of 6 percent in 2016, the numbers could continue to rise.
Here is the report’s ranking of drivers engaging in dangerous behavior grouped by age:
· Ages 19-24 is 88.4 percent
· Ages 25-39 is 79.2 percent
· Ages 40-59 is 75.2 percent
· Ages 16-18 is 69.3 percent
· Ages 75 and above is 69.1 percent
· Ages 60-74 is 67.3 percent
The findings of this report are based on data from 2,511 licensed drivers who reported driving in the past 30 days. It is part of the AAA Foundations ongoing Traffic Safety Culture Index, which did its first annual survey in 2008.
According to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Executive Director Dr. David Yang, “Alarmingly, some drivers ages 19-24 believe that their dangerous driving behavior is acceptable. It’s critical that these drivers understand the potentially deadly consequences of engaging in these types of behaviors and that they change their behavior and attitudes in order to reverse the growing number of fatalities on U.S. roads.”
If a driver is involved in an accident where there is suspected distracted driving, he or she can often be compensated for damages or injuries. However, you or a loved one may find it hard to gain the amount of money you feel that you deserve even when it is clear that the other driver was distracted. An attorney well versed in personal injury here in New Mexico can be an asset if you are seeking recompense.