The majority of Americans are pretty confident in their driving knowledge and abilities. Despite this confidence, recent surveys reveal American drivers aren’t knowledgeable of the rules of the road and really aren’t very safe. According to a recent Allstate survey of 1,000 American adults, 89 percent say they've driven faster than the posted speed limit, and 40 percent say they've driven more than 20 miles per hour over the limit. And, men are more likely to speed than women (48 percent versus 30 percent).
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Americans' bad driving habits don't stop at speeding.
• 45 percent say they have driven while excessively tired—to the point of almost falling asleep.
• 15 percent say they have driven while intoxicated, with men almost four times more likely than women to have done so (23 percent of men versus six percent of women).
• More than one-third (34 percent) have sent a text-message or e-mail while driving, but the prevalence of the practice changes by age group. Those 18-29 years of age are the most likely to text while driving (63 percent) with drivers ages 30-44 not far behind (58 percent). Texting while driving decreases with older age groups; only 25 percent of those 45-54, six percent of those 55-64, and two percent of those over 65 admit to the practice.
Most American drivers have caused some dangerous situations for others while driving. Seven in 10 American drivers say that as a result of being distracted while driving, they have slammed their brakes or swerved to avoid an accident, missed a traffic signal or actually caused an accident. Fifty-three percent report having received a speeding ticket or other moving violation. Among these drivers, 44 percent say they have received three or more. More men say they have received a ticket than women (61 percent vs. 46 percent), and those who have received tickets get more of them (an average of 4.3 per man compared to 2.6 per woman). Fifty-six percent of American drivers say they have been involved in an accident, but only 28 percent of them say the accident was their own fault.
Despite these facts, 64 percent of American drivers rate themselves as "excellent" or "very good" drivers. Among all drivers surveyed, men are more likely to rate themselves as "excellent" than women (36 percent versus 26 percent), as are college-educated drivers (35 percent) compared to those with no degree (28 percent). Republicans also rate themselves higher (70 percent) than Democrats (61 percent) or Independents (61 percent).
Drivers also don't think much of the driving ability of people from surrounding states. Fifty-three percent rate them as "average" or "poor," while just 8 percent rate those drivers as "excellent" or "very good."
Others who American drivers rated lower than themselves include:
• American drivers give teenage drivers the lowest rating of all groups. Eighty-one percent rate teenagers as "average" or "poor" drivers.
• Seven in 10 Americans give senior citizen drivers comparatively low scores.
• Parents with very young children in the car also get mediocre scores from the American driving public. Just 26 percent of American drivers rate this group as "excellent" or "good," while 33 percent rate them as "average" or "poor."
• Even those American drivers who have their own very young children are critical of their peers and rate themselves more than twice as high as "excellent" or "good" drivers (64 percent) than they rate their fellow parents (29 percent).
