Drivers Are Jerks

The AAA Traffic Safety Culture Index, which just came out, is the result of a survey about drivers’ attitudes and behaviors, but it reads like it should be called “The Ways in Which American Drivers Are Hypocritical Jerks.” For example:

Most drivers view drowsy driving as a serious threat to their safety and a completely unacceptable behavior; however, nearly 1 in 3 admit to driving when they were so tired that they had a hard time keeping their eyes open at some point in the past month.

Go home and go to bed! But not before you do other terrible things and then tell yourself it’s okay because you’re doing it.

Most drivers view it as unacceptable to drive through a traffic light that has already turned red if they could have stopped safely; however, more than 1 in 3 drivers (37%) admit doing this in the past month.

What? Seriously, 37%!? It even has a warning light before the red one. I wonder what drivers think about reading behind the wheel? (Side note: in LA you see people literally READING NOVELS while driving on the highway on a regular basis.)

Most people view drivers texting and emailing while driving as a very serious threat to their
own personal safety… However… more than 1 in 4 (26%) admit to typing or sending a text message or email while driving in the past month; and more than 1 in 3 (35%) report reading a text message or email while driving in the past month.

And then there are the 15% of those surveyed bold enough to admit to drunk driving. Stop it!

Nearly one of every two Americans has been involved in a serious crash, has had a friend or relative seriously injured or killed in a crash, or both.

This PSA brought to you by a person who hadn’t driven in 10 years and is now back behind the wheel in a city full of drunk/distracted/angry drivers who are trying to kill her at every turn.

Photo by George Fairbairn, via Shutterstock.