In July, State Farm Insurance conducted a nationwide survey that involved 1,000 car insurance holders who were ages 18 and older. The survey disclosed that drivers continue to cut down on their use of handheld cell phones for talking while increasing the amount of times they text and drive. This survey also identified year-to-year increases in Internet usage while driving, specifically on social media websites.
In drivers ages 18-29, a rise in the use of electronic communications activity was identified. Drivers ages 18-29 continue to increase the amount of texting, internet and social media usage, cell phone talking, and GPS programming they participate in while on the road.
Researches from State Farm Insurance reported that younger drivers perceive many of these behaviors as less of a distraction and are more likely to take part in in these behaviors than older individuals. In addition, smartphone ownership continues to rise and almost all adults under the age of 40 reported owning a smartphone in the year of 2015.
This increase in smartphone ownership empowers more drivers to participate in driving distractions related to smartphones and explains the detected increases in these types of behaviors. Over half of individuals surveyed noted that laws related to texting and cell phone usage were not heavily enforced.
The survey found that sixty-two percent of drivers who use their cell phones while driving explained that they are more prone to use their cell phones while they are stopped at a red light and waiting for it to turn green. Over a quarter of the individuals that responded to the survey explained that they were more inclined to participate in cell phone usage while driving on a highway or interstate rather than other types of roadways.
In addition, almost half of the respondents revealed that they would refrain from texting and driving if they happen to cause an accident while engaging in the act. Lastly, drivers under the age of 30 were twice as likely than other drivers to snap pictures behind the wheel while approximately a quarter of the younger drivers surveyed unveiled that they engage in smartphone video usage while driving.
