Press Release
Erie Insurance distracted driving survey finds drivers doing all sorts of dangerous things behind the wheel--from PDA to taking selfies to changing clothes
"A distraction is anything that causes a driver to take their eyes off the road, their hands off the wheel, or their mind off their primary task of driving safely," said
Besides the obvious phone distractions of texting and talking, other distractions people admitted to ranged from public displays of affection to personal grooming to taking selfies.
Distracted driving behavior and percentage of drivers who engaged in it | ||||||
- Romantic encounter/PDA |
15% |
|||||
- Combing/styling hair |
15% |
|||||
- Changing clothes |
9% |
|||||
- Putting on make-up |
8% |
|||||
- Brushing/flossing teeth |
4% |
|||||
- Taking selfies |
4% |
|||||
- Changing drivers |
3% |
|||||
- Going to the bathroom |
3% |
Other reported distractions included putting in contact lenses or eye drops; curling eyelashes; scratching off lottery tickets; and even playing the guitar while driving.
The survey found that texting while driving also remains a serious problem, with about one-third of drivers (30 percent) saying they themselves have done it and three-quarters (75 percent) saying they've seen others do it.
The survey revealed regional and other differences about who texts while driving.
Texting by region | |||
Drivers in the Northeast text the least. | |||
- Northeast |
24% | ||
- Midwest |
28% | ||
- West |
30% | ||
- South |
35% | ||
Texting by gender | |||
Men are more likely to text than women. | |||
- Men |
32% | ||
- Women |
28% | ||
Texting by age | |||
Younger drivers text more. | |||
- 18-34 |
51% | ||
- 35-44 |
39% | ||
- 45-54 |
33% | ||
- 55-64 |
14% | ||
- 65 and older |
7% |
According to U.S. government statistics, in 2012, more than 420,000 people were injured in car crashes involving distracted driving and more than 3,300 people were killed. In 2013,
"As a car insurance company who cares deeply about our customers, we want to do whatever we can to help people stay safe behind the wheel," said Smith. "We hope that our survey will get people talking about the importance of eliminating distracted driving and keeping their focus on the road."
About the survey
The survey was conducted online within
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