Surveys Show Large Numbers Of Americans Are Risky Drivers
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Nearly seven in ten Americans have driven while drowsy, while millions have engaged in other risky behavior when they likely shouldn’t get behind the wheel, according to a new survey.
Motorists also routinely drive vehicles that should either be parked or taken to a repair shop, reports CarInsurance.com.
Drowsy driving has been blamed for one in every eight highway deaths, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. A separate 2013 study by the Centers for Disease Control found one in 24 adults admitting to having fallen asleep behind the wheel at least once in the previous month. And experts caution that the problem could be under-reported because motorists may not realize when they’ve experienced a second or two of so-called "micro-sleep."
But being sleepy isn’t the only reason why drivers might consider staying home or handing someone else the keys. According to another study, 53 percent of respondents said they drove while having a headache while 35 percent did so when they were sick enough to be in bed. A full 23 percent admitted driving because they were less drunk than a friend, while sixteen percent got behind the wheel without the contact lenses or glasses they normally need.
The online survey of 2,000 adults over 18 with valid driver’s licenses also found fifteen percent driving while taking a narcotic pain medicine. The website noted that a motorist who ignored a doctor’s orders not to drive could wind up with their car insurance coverage "in jeopardy."
The survey not only looked at the condition of the driver, but the shape of the car people will be willing to drive. The most common problem motorists admitted ignoring was the "check engine" light. A total of 61 percent of the respondents said they kept driving anyway. And 32 percent said they headed out with snow or ice-obstructed windshields. Other problems that drivers ignored:
- Windshield wipers not working, 26 percent
- Speedometer broken, 21 percent
- Horn didn’t work, 19 percent
- Headlight working, 18 percent
- Flat tire: 17 percent
- A door had to be held closed: 10 percent
Nearly half of those surveyed admitted to driving when they shouldn’t have at least once in the prior twelve months. Having to get to work was the biggest reason, cited by 21 percent of the respondents, followed by the need to get home, a desire to make a doctor’s appointment, or to pick up the kids.
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