Texting, swearing, and flipping off others in front of kids found to be among the most noted bad behaviors. Drivers also recognize texting is as dangerous as DUI, but 40 percent do it anyway.
April 3, 2019 (Foster City, CA) – Women drivers curse in front of their children and give fellow motorists the middle-finger more often than men do. That’s according to a new survey by Insurance.com, the leading online resource for auto, home, health and life insurance expertise based on 20 years of helping consumers. But men aren’t always pillars of polite driving either, as more men than women tailgate and steal parking spots, survey results showed.
Insurance.com commissioned a survey of 1,000 parents asking if they admit to 17 bad driving maneuvers. It also asked what types of distracted driving behavior they engage in – texting, selfies, taking photos -- and why, as well as what activities they deem most distracting. Below are the top 5 bad driver confessions.
| Behavior | Overall | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honked at someone who was driving too slowly | 46% | 48% | 33% |
| Flipped off someone while driving | 34% | 38% | 29% |
| Brake-checked a car following closely | 30% | 35% | 24% |
| Swore in front of kids while driving | 27% | 37% | 14% |
| Flipped someone off in front of kids while driving | 18% | 19% | 16% |
"If you see a driver flipping people off, it's most likely to be a woman. And if she's swearing, we have a name for her – Mom,” said Michelle Megna, editorial director of Insurance.com. “Women drivers are not inherently more rage-y than men, of course. Federal transportation research and anecdotal evidence suggests that ‘high mileage moms’ do more driving to get family errands done and for kids’ activities."
Distracted driving: Texting, selfies, photos/videos
Respondents said distracting driving is increasingly becoming a problem compared to just two years ago. Eighty-six percent said the issue is a larger concern. More than two-thirds of people who said distracted driving is a bigger issue said it’s at least 50 percent more so than it was in 2017.
Ninety percent of people surveyed acknowledged that texting and driving is as dangerous as driving under the influence. However, 40 percent still admitted that they’ve texted while driving, with 23 percent doing it regularly.
If they know that texting while driving is dangerous, why do drivers do it?
- Almost half said they texted because they needed to tell a family member something important.
- 13 % said they texted to respond to another text.
- 8 % said they had to send a change in plans.
Our findings also show that many people text with children in the car.
- 48 % of those who said they’ve texted did so with their kids as passengers.
- More women (55 percent) than men (45 percent) text behind the wheel with their children riding along.
Of motorists who have taken selfies while driving, 44 percent said they did so because they felt they looked particularly good that day. Sharing shots of majestic views, severe weather and accidents are among the top reasons for taking photos and videos while driving.
“Distracted driving is dangerous --our findings show that of those who text and drive, eight percent had an accident as a result. It’s also costly if you are cited,” said Megna. “A quarter of texters surveyed say they’ve been ticketed. Our data analysis shows that a texting ticket hikes your car insurance rate by 23 percent, on average, and it can be much more than that in some states. An accident can increase rates by about 30 percent.”
See complete survey results, please visit Insurance.com: https://www.insurance.com/auto-insurance/distracted-driving
About Insurance.com
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Media Contact
Michelle Megna
Or
Liberty Communications for QuinStreet
Rick Judge, 415-429-5652