A survey shows that people’s perception of how well they drive, as compared to other drivers, is a bit off. People tend to think that they are much better drivers than the multitude of horrible drivers that they see on the roads around them every day. This perception doesn’t quite match up to the facts, though.
We have all had experiences with really bad drivers. These encounters may not have resulted in a car accident, but some of them may have come close. How often have you been irritated by that driver who suddenly hits his breaks for no apparent reason? Have you ever had to swerve in order to avoid colliding with a distracted driver who was accidentally merging into your lane? Did you ever wonder if the bad driver in front of you is, in fact, intoxicated?
You probably think that your driving skills and practices are much better, and much safer, than the majority of drivers out there. A survey of 1,000 adult, American, drivers that was done by Allstate Corp., the insurance company, reveals otherwise. It seems that although most Americans consider themselves to be good drivers, their driving habits tell a different story.
A total of 64% of the American drivers who took the survey rated their own driving abilities as “excellent” or “very good”. They actually gave themselves a rating that is twice as high as the rating they gave to their close friends. Only 29% of those surveyed said that their friends were “excellent” or “very good” drivers. Respondents also said that people who were the same age as themselves, whatever that age happened to be, were “excellent” or “very good” drivers. This type of response was given by 22% of the drivers who took the survey.
The survey showed that people don’t tend to think that drivers from outside of their state are good drivers. Only 8% of the respondents gave out of state drivers an “excellent” or “very good” rating. 53% of the people who took the survey rated the drivers from out of state as “average” or “poor”.
Who else did people identify as drivers who needed improvements? 81% rated teenage drivers as “average” or “poor”. 70% gave drivers who are senior citizens low scores as well. People had mixed feelings about drivers who were parents with their young children in the car with them. 26% said these drivers were “excellent” or “good”, while 33% said they were “average” or “poor”.
Drivers who took the survey were also asked about their own driving behaviors. 89% of drivers admitted to driving faster than the posted speed limit. 48% of men, and 30% of women said that they speed. An alarming 45% of drivers said that they have driven while they were excessively tired, and nearly fell asleep at the wheel. 15% of respondents said that they have driven while intoxicated.
34% of drivers said that they have sent a text message or email while driving. Seven out of ten drivers said that they had to slam on their breaks or swerve in order to avoid an accident that was about to happen as a result of their own distracted driving. 56% of drivers have been involved in an accident, but only 28% felt that the accident was their own fault. From this data, it seems entirely possible that the guy who is on the road driving like an idiot could actually be you.
Image by Chad Elliott on Flickr