According to a recent study by Nationwide for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, consumers and insurance agents agree that drivers are faster, more aggressive, and more reckless than before the pandemic—and an overwhelming majority of both groups said they’d support legislation to ban handheld phone use on the road.
But 51% of consumers still reported that they’d used a handheld device while driving in the past six months.
With the danger of driving on the rise, why are Americans still engaging in dangerous driving behavior? Car insurance
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers Consumers and insurance agents agree that driving today is significantly more dangerous than before the pandemic
Nationwide’s study asked 400 private insurance agents and 1,000 consumers about their perceptions of driving behaviors, and they all agreed: driving is more dangerous in 2022 than it was before the pandemic.
Asked about driver behavior, here’s what respondents said:
85% of agents and 79% of consumers said that people drive faster today
80% of agents and 81% of consumers said drivers are more aggressive today
77% of agents and 76% of consumers said drivers are more reckless today
52% of consumers said driving is more stressful for them today
But the rising danger of driving hasn’t put an end to one of the most dangerous driving habits: cell phone use. Although 66% of consumers agreed that holding their phone while driving is “somewhat” or “very dangerous,” 51% admitted to engaging in that reckless driving behavior in the past six months, and only 30% said they use their phone’s “Do Not Disturb” function to limit distractions on the road
. Only 24 states currently have hands-free primary enforcement laws
Nationwide’s study is part of a push for all 50 states to pass hands-free primary enforcement laws—that is, laws that would allow police to pull drivers over and issue citations for using a handheld device behind the wheel. Although 64% of respondents believed their states already had such laws, only 24 states
currently have hands-free primary enforcement laws, with legislation pending in a further 21. That leaves five states with no plans to ban cellphone use while driving—and the dangers are only increasing.
Why hands-free laws are key to ending distracted driving
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that roughly nine Americans are killed each day in an accident involving a distracted driver—and Nationwide’s study suggests that those numbers may be lowballing the risk. In fact, agents surveyed believe that an average of 50% of accidents involve at least one distracted driver.
The sobering data from Nationwide’s study suggests that many Americans are waiting for stricter laws to curb their cell phone use behind the wheel. Don’t be one of them.
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