Study Reveals Age Group Most Likely To Text And Drive
A new global driving study commissioned by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company has identified which age group is the worst offender when it comes to using their cell phones while driving.
Can you guess which group it was?
If you guessed Millennials you'd be right. But they're certainly not alone, some of the other statistics may surprise you.
For general reference, a Millennial is someone born between 1981 and 1996, a Gen Exer was born between 1965 and 1980, and a Baby Boomer was born between 1946 and 1964. There is a new group, the Post Millennials, comprised of those born between 1997 and now but they are not referenced in this study.
While 86% of Millennials admit to using their phones while driving, so do 72% of Gen Xers and 49% of Baby Boomers.
When asked about simply glancing at the screen to see the incoming text message the Millennials came in first at 79%.
While that's not overly surprising, 59% of the Millennials said they sometimes SEND texts while driving! That's five times more than the Baby Boomers.
A full third of the Millennials also admitted to using social media while driving, again coming in more than any other age group. 1 in 7 Gen Exers said they'd done it while only 3% of the Baby Boomers had.
Millennials also come in at the top of the groups that multi-task behind the wheel. 63% Admit to eating or applying makeup while driving.
As if that's not bad enough, 47% of Millennials also admit to driving aggressively.
We're not just picking on the Millennials here, they're just the ones who top the list. Probably because they've always had digital devices in their hands and it's a natural thing for them. The study also pointed out that drivers in the United States were more likely to engage in unsafe practices than those in Western Europe.
The study also noted some simple ways to increase your safety on the road. Things like avoiding your phone, planning ahead, and practicing defensive driving. Click here to see the full study.
With all of the technology at our fingertips these days it's easy to become distracted while driving, but the reasons for the laws against using your phone while behind the wheel are as serious as life and death. Put the phone down, those messages will still be there when you get where you're going and in Wichita Falls that's seldom more than 15 minutes away.