When driving across town on any given day, the probability of passing another vehicle where the driver is holding their phone up to read it is pretty high. In fact, according to a recent survey conducted by AAA, 88% of drivers aged 19 to 24 reported conducting some kind of risky behavior in the past 30 days when behind the wheel. Not only did they say they texted, they also received phone calls, drove more than 10 miles an hour over the limit and ran red lights. That’s nearly every young driver on the road disregarding established laws meant to protect the public.
But Millennials aren’t the only ones
Not by a long shot, the same survey determined that risky driving habits could be found in all age segments of the survey. Those in the 40 to 59 age group were almost as bad as their children, reporting a 75.2% rate of breaking the rules. The group with the lowest rate? Surprisingly the new drivers between 16 and 18 won, but only by a hair, reporting a 69% rate of risky driving practices.
Distracted driving could have caused your accident
If you were in a fender bender recently, this study shows that there was a good chance that distracted driving and poor judgment may have been the cause behind your accident. While Colorado law prohibits texting while operating your vehicle, it’s clear that drivers don’t think that checking the latest message from your spouse, friend or boss is a dangerous activity. However, when it takes three seconds simply to check which radio station is displayed on your dash, how much longer is a driver’s focus turned elsewhere when the notification chime rings?
Ask the question at the accident scene
If you are part of a traffic accident, often the police will arrive on the scene to make a report. Even if the other driver gets out of their four door sedan and brushes back their gray hair, don’t let it be assumed that their cell phone was left in the glove box. Use the camera on your phone to document if turn signals or headlights are on. Ask the officer to check on speed and security footage to determine if the light was really green.
Most important of all, while Millennials might admit to having poor driving habits, that does not eliminate the rest of the population from being guilty of the same. If you’ve been in a fender bender, reach out to an attorney experienced in handling these kinds of cases to ensure that the party responsible for the situation provides compensation for those who actually conducted themselves in a lawful and safe manner.
