Millennials in New York might be less safe on the road than drivers in other age groups. Almost 90 percent of millennial drivers admitted to driving dangerously, according to a survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. For example, almost twice as many millennials confessed to texting or sending emails while behind the wheel compared to other age groups.
More than twice as many millennials said they thought it was acceptable to drive more than 10 miles per hour above the speed limit in a school zone compared to 5 percent of people in other age groups. While just over one-third of drivers said they thought it was acceptable to run through a red light when they could have stopped, almost half of millennials said the same.
The study also found discrepancies in drivers of all age groups between what they believed was acceptable driving behavior and their actions. For example, more than 78 percent of survey respondents considered reading a text or email while driving unacceptable, but over 40 percent of them admitted to doing it themselves. Almost 80 percent of drivers regarded driving while fatigued as unacceptable, yet nearly 30 percent of those surveyed indicated they had done it. The survey results correlate with the fact that the number of traffic deaths in 2015 climbed to 35,092, a 7 percent increase over the previous year’s figures, the largest in 50 years.
Dangerous driving behaviors could cause serious accidents, and when people are injured in crashes, insurance companies may cover only a portion of the associated expenses. Car accident injuries can be catastrophic, and it could take someone several months to recover, resulting in lost wages from work. Sometimes, even permanent disabilities result. In order to receive the compensation they need, injured individuals may want to consult with attorneys who can help them file civil lawsuits against the drivers who caused their accidents.
