Safe Driving Report 2018 | finder.com
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Finder’s Safe Driving Report 2018

An estimated 138 million Americans admit to driving while distracted in the past year.

Next time you’re on the road and see an erratic driver, take a closer look when you pass. According to a new finder report, there’s a good chance that driver’s chatting on the phone, texting friends or even fatigued from a long day (or night).

We surveyed 2,001 American adults about their riskiest habits to learn who our most dangerous drivers are — and what’s causing them to live in harm’s way.

What are the most common risky habits?

Almost half (44.9%) of all drivers admit to chatting on their phones while behind the wheel in the past year. The next most likely dangerous driving habit is speeding (30.1%), representing an estimated 70 million Americans who admit to driving over the speed limit.

Driver fatigue is also a serious concern, with an estimated 42 million drivers (18.1%) feeling sleepy while on our roads. Texting while in the driver’s seat is also a popular habit for 16.3% of Americans. And almost 1 in 10 (7.9%) admit to primping while driving — think plucking eyebrows, speedily shaving or giving teeth a quick clean.

When it comes to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, an estimated 6.9 million Americans (2.9%) admit to taking on this risk.

Let’s break down the data

Gender

Women are more likely to concentrate on their driving than men — 42.8% of women compared with 38.4% of men. But they’re also more likely than men (11.0% vs. 4.7%) to be the ones grooming themselves behind the wheel.

However, both genders are nearly equal when it comes to playing with their phones: 45.0% of women and 44.8% of men drivers admit to chatting, while 16.0% of women compared to 16.7% of men admit to texting.

Men are more likely to speed than women (at 31.9% of male drivers, compared with 28.4% of female drivers), drive under the influence (3.5% men vs. 2.5% women) and drive while fatigued (18.9% men vs. 17.2% women).

Generation

Unfortunately for millennials, they’re the most likely of all generations to be distracted by an activity while driving. Only 35.4% of millennial drivers say they concentrate while driving, compared with 38.1% of Gen Xers and 46.1% of baby boomers who say the same.

Millennials (6.1%) are nearly six times more likely than baby boomers (1.1%) to drive under the influence. Millennials (28.0%) are also four times more likely than baby boomers (7.3%) to text while on the fly.

Marital status

Surprisingly, those who are married or in a domestic relationship are most likely to speed (31.8%), followed by singles (29.4%) and divorcees (27.9%). Singles are most likely to fix their appearance while driving (9.6%), followed closely by divorcees (9.0%) and married couples (7.2%).

Distracted driving apps

Need some help training yourself not to Snapchat, Tweet or return a basic text while driving? We rounded up a few distracted driving apps out there that can help you keep your eyes on the road, instead of your phone.

BrandFeatures
Cellcontrol
  • Blocks employees from talking, texting, emailing, social media posting, surfing the web and more while driving.
  • Dual program works with technology installed on your employee’s vehicle and the mobile app on their phone.
  • Mobile app gives drivers access to their safety score — which analyzes speeding, braking and more — right on their device.
  • Easy-to-use dashboard for employers to monitor driving behavior and safety scores for all drivers in your fleet.
  • Available for both iOS and Android devices, as well as all vehicle types.
TrueMotion Family Safe Driving
  • Monitors how your family members drive, including phone use, texting, aggressive driving, speeding and more.
  • See where everyone in your family is, like a teen driver, and how they got there. This location tracker can also be turned off.
  • Compare driving scores and rankings across all members of your family to identify risky behaviors and encourage responsible driving.
  • Available for both iOS and Android devices for free.
LifeSaver: Distracted Driving
  • Available for employers and parents alike, this app blocks phone use while you’re driving.
  • Notifies parents if their teen unlocks the phone while driving and when they’ve arrived at their destination.
  • Driver Portal allows parents to monitor driving habits and set up monthly rewards, which are tied to safe, non-distracted driving.
  • Available for both iOS and Android devices for free.
AT&T DriveMode: Don’t Text & Drive, It Can Wait
  • Silences texts and phone calls when you’re driving 15 mph or more.
  • Automatically replies to text messages for AT&T customers letting them know you’re driving.
  • Parents can get an alert if the app is turned off.
  • Available for both iOS and Android devices for free.
Text Limit
  • Blocks phone use when you’re driving over a certain speed, which you can choose.
  • Parents can choose a “top speed” for teen drivers — when they go over this speed, they’ll receive an email.
  • Parent can set up geo-location to know where their teen drivers are.
  • Available for both iOS and Android devices for free.
Mojo: Rewards for Safe Driving
  • Gives drivers a score based on how distracted you are, like whether you’re texting or talking on the phone.
  • Provides tips to improve your driving and nudges you to reduce distracted driving.
  • Earn points based on how safe your driving is, and use them to earn spins for a chance to win gift cards.
  • Invite friends and compete to become the safest driver.
  • Available for both iOS and Android devices for free.
DriveSafe Mode
  • Disables your phone while your car is in motion.
  • Alerts parents when the app on their teen’s phone is shut off while driving.
  • Can set up specific phone numbers to be called during emergencies.
  • Available for both iOS and Android devices for free.

Can car insurance help?

We’re not surprised to find that US drivers are involved in more than 16 million car accidents every year. While car insurance can’t stop you or other drivers from living dangerously on the road, it can help protect your finances if you find yourself in a fender-bender — or worse.

No matter how you drive, it’s worth comparing car insurance policies and perks to find the best coverage for your specific needs. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Methodology

We analyzed data from a survey of 2,001 US adults commissioned by finder.com and conducted by Pureprofile in February 2018.

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