There are all kinds of drivers on the road. Old drivers, young drivers, fast drivers, slow drivers, angry drivers, distracted drivers – the list goes on. Unfortunately, each group is often guilty of some risky or irresponsible behavior behind the wheel. Often, these risky and irresponsible practices cause dangerous and even fatal automobile accidents.
Drivers who often speed, for example, may not be able to react to conditions on the road fast enough and can end up in an accident. Angry drivers often cut other drivers off, fail to signal, or tailgate other drivers. To be sure, these practices are incredibly dangerous and should be avoided by any responsible driver who is looking to avoid a costly and tragic accident.
So which of these groups represents the most dangerous automobile drivers? What may surprise you is that the group considered to be the most dangerous is actually millennials.
Young People Can be Dangerous Automobile Drivers
It may come as no surprise to you that younger drivers with less experience are most likely to drive dangerously. Beyond a lack of experience behind the wheel, factors related to brain development make teenage drivers more prone to risky driving behaviors such as listening to music too loudly, texting while driving, and speeding, for example.
However, millennials have been found to be even more dangerous than younger student drivers. Millennials are commonly defined as those born between 1981 and 1996.
According to a 2017 AAA study, 88.4 percent of drivers ages 19-24 – who fell in the young range of millennials at the time of the study – admitted to texting while driving, running a red light, or speeding within the previous 30 days. 59 percent of drivers ages 19 to 24 also reported sending a text or email while driving compared to 31.4 percent of all drivers.
The next most dangerous age group was drivers ages 25 to 39, 79 percent of whom reported engaging in the aforementioned bad behavior.
Young drivers, on the other hand, came in fourth place at 69.3 percent. The only drivers less likely to engage in these dangerous behaviors were those ages 60 and up (but only slightly).
What Makes Millennials Such Dangerous Automobile Drivers?
You might be wondering what makes millennials drive so dangerously. There are many reasons, but one of the main ones is the rise of cell phone and smartphone technology. It’s often the case that technology can develop faster than laws and regulations can be introduced.
Prior to the introduction of strict laws designed to curtail distracted driving, many millennials were not discouraged in any serious way from using their phones, iPods, or other devices while they were behind the wheel. To this day, many cities and states are working to craft legislation that will make their roads safer from the dangers of distracted driving.
Why is Distracted Driving So Dangerous?
Given all of the other dangerous behaviors behind the wheel that are typically associated with dangerous automobile drivers, such as road rage, inexperience, or intoxication, it may come as a surprise to some that distracted driving is what makes millennials the most dangerous. Sadly, many people still don’t realize just how dangerous distracted driving is.
As we’ve discussed on this blog before, distracted driving can drastically reduce a driver’s reaction time, causing them to get into auto accidents, hit pedestrians, or run themselves off the road. People don’t realize just how long it takes them to actually read a text, write a response, and send it.
Some think that talking on the phone is less distracting, but they’d be mistaken. To drive safely, it’s advised that drivers avoid all distractions and focus on the act of driving.
Contact an Experienced Auto Accident Attorney
If you’ve been involved in an accident with a dangerous automobile driver, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced auto accident attorney at Nelson MacNeil Rayfield. With over 70 years of collective experience, we can answer any questions you may have during the course of a free consultation.