As Crash Deaths Reach 40k, Adults Drive Worse Than Teens

Who are the riskiest drivers on the road?

While teenage drivers have the highest chances of dying in a car crash, they are not the worst drivers. According to a new study from AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety,  young adult drivers report engaging in dangerous driving behavior more than any other age group. They found that about 88% of young adults (age 19-24) admitted to speeding, running red lights, or texting while driving in the last 30 days.

Older adults (25-39) weren’t far behind, at 79%. Among drivers 40-59 years old, 75% owned up to these bad behaviors. Teenagers? Just 69%.

Nearly half of drivers 19-24 years old reported driving through a light that had just turned red when they could have stopped safely. They appear twice as likely as other age groups to type a text while driving.

Car crash deaths reach 40,000, highest in a decade

As risky driver behavior persists, car crash deaths soar. The National Safety Council reports that collisions resulted in more than 40,000 deaths in 2016 – the highest number in a decade.

“Complacency is killing us,” says Deborah A.P. Hersman, president of the National Safety Council and former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Indeed, AAA describes most Americans’ attitudes, “do as I say, not as I do.” In other words, most of us agree that certain driving habits are unacceptable – yet we engage in them anyway. For instance, AAA found that 96% of survey responders agree people shouldn’t drink and drive, but 12% admitted to getting behind the wheel when they may have been over the legal limit.

Clearly, it’s not enough to merely acknowledge that these behaviors are wrong. Each driver must take responsibility. The attitude that we can “get away with” something that others should not do may cause a deadly crash.