So Who’s Causing The Avalanche of Accidents?
Teenagers? No, it’s their older brothers and sisters, the millennials. The largest generation of Americans between the ages of 19 and 35 are our worst drivers.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety just released a troubling report that reveals that almost all admit that they exceed the speed limit by 10-15 m.p.h., run red lights, text while driving, and drive under the influence of alcohol or marijuana on a regular basis.
Great, 75 million of the most dangerous drivers in America are driving next to us. Talk about accidents waiting to happen!
This helps explain why we have a whopping 80,000 collisions each year in Tarrant and Dallas Counties. A paralegal got stuck behind one involving an 18-wheeler and four other vehicles this morning that shut down I-20. It’s routine but shouldn’t be.
The epidemic of collisions keeps rising, despite the constant warnings about the dangers of texting while driving and speeding. You see PSAs and signs all the time on television, social media, highway signs, and billboards. But many young drivers don’t think dangerous driving is wrong.
Comparing the driving behavior of millennials to other generations
The study found that millennials are extremely risky, especially compared to the rest of us. They are twice as likely to read a message while driving and to speed in a school zone.
The study showed that teenagers are not far behind in these numbers and have the highest chances of being fatalities in car wrecks.
Why do our younger drivers race around so crazily? “It’s surprising that the young millennial drivers are the ones taking the most chances. They should know better,” the head of the AAA Foundation noted.
OK, they’re not the only accident-prone drivers on the roads. The study revealed that while 50% of millennials drove through red lights, 36% of all drivers do. And this is just what people admit to.
We have the worst drivers in Texas
You’re not crazy to think that we have too many dangerous drivers here. We’re tied for #1 in the country with Louisiana according to data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It’s safe to say that the eyes of Texas aren’t on the road.
Unsurprisingly, the number of drunk driving deaths was an accurate indication of a state’s overall ranking. Texas has the most number of deaths caused by intoxicated drivers in the United States.All of the states ranked with the top 10 worst drivers also ranked in the top 10 DUI fatalities.
We need to address these problems. Car crashes are the leading cause of death of our young people.
We need to require technology to restrict the rampant cell phone use while driving, stop drunks from driving, and take other measures to keep drivers safe on the road.