Report: Millennials top list of worst-behaved drivers

BASED ON A SURVEY of 2,511 licensed drivers over the age of 16 across the country, those 19-24 display the greatest percentage of dangerous habits while behind the wheel, and they don't necessarily think they are doing anything wrong. / COURTESY AAA NORTHEAST
BASED ON A SURVEY of 2,511 licensed drivers over the age of 16 across the country, those 19-24 display the greatest percentage of dangerous habits while behind the wheel, and they don't necessarily think they are doing anything wrong. / COURTESY AAA NORTHEAST

PROVIDENCE – A recent report from AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that millennials are the worst-behaved drivers in the United States, with 88 percent of young millennials engaging in risky behavior behind the wheel in the past 30 days. Dangerous driving practices included texting, running red lights and speeding.

According to the report, U.S. traffic deaths rose to 35,092 in 2015, an increase of more than 7 percent, the largest single-year increase in five decades.

Broken down by age group, the percentage of drivers who reported engaging in speeding, red light-running or texting while driving in the past 30 days is as follows:

  • Drivers ages 19-24: 88.4 percent
  • Drivers ages 25-39: 79.2 percent
  • Drivers ages 40-59: 75.2 percent
  • Drivers ages 16-18: 69.3 percent
  • Drivers ages 75+: 69.1 percent
  • Drivers ages 60-74: 67.3 percent

The new survey results are part of the AAA Foundation’s Traffic Safety Culture Index, a sample of 2,511 licensed drivers over age 16 to identify attitudes and behaviors related to traffic safety.

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The survey found that drivers ages 19-24 were nearly twice as likely as all drivers to type or send a text message or email while driving (59.3 percent vs. 31.4 percent). Nearly 12 percent of drivers ages 19-24 reported feeling that it is acceptable to drive 10 mph over the speed limit in a school zone, compared to less than 5 percent of all drivers.

Additionally, nearly 50 percent of drivers ages 19-24 reported driving through a light that had just turned red when they could have stopped safely, compared to 36 percent of all drivers.

“Alarmingly, some of the drivers ages 19-24 believe that their dangerous driving behavior is acceptable,” said Mary Maguire, AAA Northeast director of public and legislative affairs. “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.”

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