AAA Deadly Driving Trends: Speeding, Distractions, and Aggression

AAA is sharing the results of a new AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety survey. It shines a spotlight on the ongoing public health crisis on the nations roads due to risky driving behaviors - the top three being speeding, distraction and aggression. 

AAA reports that in 2023, nearly 41,000 people were killed in U.S. traffic crashes. Despite a slight decrease from the previous year, researchers say the threat posed by risky driving behaviors remains alarmingly high. The new report highlights this issue by categorizing drivers based on their self-reported risky behaviors. Speeding, distracted driving, and aggressive driving emerged as the most prevalent dangerous habits. The annual Traffic Safety Culture Index (TSCI) survey identified five distinct driver profiles. The survey asked drivers about their perceived level of danger for various driving behaviors, with most drivers saying unsafe driving behaviors are very or extremely dangerous. Yet, many have admitted to doing these dangerous behaviors at least once in the previous 30 days.

“Behind every deadly statistic is a real person,” said Dr. David Yang, the AAA Foundation President and Executive Director.  “This work helps us uncover the public’s perspective on traffic safety, enabling the creation of targeted solutions that make a real difference in reducing traffic crashes and fatalities.”

The survey found that Safe Drivers admitted to driving less, while Most Dangerous Drivers, who admit to speeding, distracted, and impaired behaviors, logged more miles on the road, often in older vehicles with fewer safety features. As you'd expect, Safe Drivers condemned risky driving behaviors, but other profiles seemed more indifferent to the dangers.  AAA researchers say that surprisingly, Safe Drivers and their riskier counterparts shared a similar disregard for the potential consequences of their actions.

Key Findings

Distracted Driving:

• Most drivers (93%) recognize the dangers of texting, emailing, and reading while driving.
• However, many drivers reported sending a text/email (27%), reading a text/email (37%), or holding and talking on a phone (36%) while driving in the past 30 days.

Aggressive Driving and Speeding:

• Most drivers perceive aggressive driving (89%) and running red lights (81%) as dangerous. Yet 27% ran at least one red light in the previous 30 days.
• And nearly half (49%) admitted to driving 15 mph over the posted speed limit on a freeway at least once in the past 30 days, while 36% of drivers reported driving 10 mph over the posted speed limit on a residential street.

Drowsy Driving:

• Most drivers (96%) recognize the dangers of drowsy driving, but 20% admitted to driving while drowsy in the previous 30 days.

Impaired Driving:

• Drivers overwhelmingly perceive drunk driving as dangerous (95%) and socially unacceptable. Yet 7% admitted engaging in this behavior in the previous 30 days.
• By comparison, only 70% of drivers felt driving within an hour of using cannabis to be very or extremely dangerous, and 6% reported having done it in the previous 30 days.

Driver Profiles:

The survey identified five distinct driver profiles:

1. Safe Drivers: Rarely engage in risky behaviors – 34.9%
2. Distracted Drivers: Primarily engage in all distracted driving behaviors – 19%
3. Speeding Drivers: Primarily engage in speeding behaviors – 32.6%
4. Distracted and Aggressive Drivers: Engage in distracted and aggressive driving – 11%
5. Most Dangerous Drivers: Engage in all risky driving behaviors – 2.5%

“It’s time to work smarter with the resources we have to save lives.,” said Jake Nelson, AAA’s director of traffic safety advocacy. “The AAA Foundation’s new survey highlights that most risk-taking drivers also speed.  By prioritizing speed enforcement, police can curb a wide range of risky driving behaviors and maximize their lifesaving impact.”