A new AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety report indicates 88 percent of millennials (aged 18 to 25) admitted being involved in driving infractions in the past 30 days, earning the dubious distinction as the worst behaved U.S. drivers.
These dangerous behaviors which increase the risk of accidents, included texting while driving, running red-lights and speeding. These findings come as U.S. traffic deaths rose to 35,092 in 2015, an increase of more than 7 percent, the largest single-year increase in five decades.
“Alarmingly, some of the drivers believe their dangerous driving behavior is acceptable,” said Dr. David Yang, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety executive director. “It’s critical that these drivers understand the potentially deadly consequences of engaging in these types of behaviors and that they change their behavior and attitudes in order to reverse the growing number of fatalities on U.S. roads.”
In the research conducted among 2,511 drivers over 16, AAA found 88.4 percent of drivers aged 19 to 24 admitted to engaging in speeding, red light running or texting behind the wheel in the past 30 days include, compared to 68 percent of drivers over age 60.
Traffic attorney, Michale Ramos of Miami, concurs with the report as he says over 70 percent of his clients who recently received traffic tickets mostly for speeding, running red lights and testing-while-driving offenses, were young adults age -20 to 35.
According to AAA the report, drivers ages 19-24 were 1.6 times as likely as all drivers to report having read a text message or e-mail while driving in the last 30 days (66.1 percent vs. 40.2 percent). Drivers ages 19-24 were nearly twice as likely as all drivers to report having typed or sent a text message or e-mail while driving (59.3 percent vs. 31.4 percent).
Regarding speeding offenses, drivers ages 19-24 were 1.4 times as likely as all drivers to report having driven 10 mph over the speed limit on a residential street. Nearly 12 percent of drivers ages 19-24 reported feeling that it is acceptable to drive 10 mph over the speed limit in a school zone, compared to less than 5 percent of all drivers.
In the case of drivers who run red lights, the report found nearly 50 percent of drivers ages 19-24 reported driving through a light that had just turned red when they could have stopped safely, compared to 36 percent of all drivers.
Nearly 14 percent of drivers ages 19-24 reported feeling that it is acceptable to drive through a light that just turned red, when they could have stopped safely, compared to about 6 percent of all drivers.
“Too often we see what can happen as a result of underestimating risk while driving,” said Amy Stracke, AAA – The Auto Club Group managing director for traffic safety advocacy. “Change starts with our own behavior. We need to set a good example by following speed limits, putting the phone down and fully focusing on the task of driving.”
 admitted being involved in driving infractions in the past 30 days){kind=link}