2014 Traffic Safety Culture

Index

The Situation • Seventh consecutive year of the Traffic

Safety Culture index• AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety seeks

to measure and benchmark:• Attitudes, Beliefs, and• Behaviors of American drivers

• To understand and strengthen a culture of safety on our roads

• Released January 2015

• Culture of complacency persists

• Prevailing attitude continues to be: “Do as I say, not as I do.”

Key Findings

MethodsGeneral Public• Random sample of 3,494 U.S. residents

of driving age (16+) • Conducted August 29 – October 6, 2014

using web-enabled probability-based panel representative of the U.S. population

• Data collected by GfK; then analyzed by the AAA Foundation

The SurveyPerceived threat

“Do you feel ___are a very serious threat, a somewhat serious threat, a minor threat, or not a threat to your personal safety?”

Acceptability“How acceptable do you, personally, consider it to be for a driver to ___? Do you consider that completely unacceptable, somewhat unacceptable, somewhat acceptable, or completely acceptable?”

The Survey

Behaviors“In the past 30 days, how often have you ___? Have you done that regularly, fairly often, rarely, just once, or never?”

Personal Experience with Crashes

• Nearly one in five drivers have been involved in a serious crash

• Nearly one in three Americans have had a friend or relative seriously injured or killed in a crash

Compared to 3 years ago, how much of a problem today

is…?Aggressive Drivers

Much bigger problem

today, 30.3%

Somewhat bigger

problem today, 31.0%

About the same, 37.0%

Somewhat smaller problem

today, 1.2%

Much smaller problem

today, 0.3%

Compared to 3 years ago, how much of a problem today

is…?Distracted Drivers

Much bigger problem today,

57.8%

Somewhat bigger problem

today, 27.2%

About the same, 14.0%

Somewhat smaller

problem today, 0.7%

Much smaller problem today,

0.2%

Compared to 3 years ago, how much of a problem today

is…?Drunk Driving

Much bigger problem today,

21.2%

Somewhat bigger problem

today, 20.4%About the

same, 49.9%

Somewhat smaller

problem today, 7.6%

Much smaller problem today,

0.6%

Compared to 3 years ago, how much of a problem today

is…?Drivers Using Drugs

Much bigger problem today,

20.6%

Somewhat bigger problem

today, 25.0%

About the same, 50.3%

Somewhat smaller

problem today, 3.1%

Much smaller problem today,

0.5%

Drinking and Driving

1.5%

12.3%

91.0%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Did fairly often or regularly

Did in past year

Completely unacceptable

Respondents Who Reported Driving in Past 30 Days

Cell Phones

29.1%

69.2%

17.5%

42.2%

45.4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Did fairly often or regularly

Did in past 30 days

Completely unacceptable (hands-free)

Completely unacceptable (hand-held)

Very serious threat

Respondents Who Reported Driving in Past 30 Days

Texting / Email

36.1%

27.1%

84.4%

78.6%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Read a text or email in past 30 days

Typed or sent text/email in past 30 days

Completely unacceptable (to type texts or emails)

Very serious threat

Respondents Who Reported Driving in Past 30 Days

Speeding (15+ mph over) on Freeways

14.1%

46.1%

49.9%

32.2%

0% 20% 40% 60%

Did fairly often or regularly

Did in past 30 days

Completely unacceptable

Very serious threat

Respondents Who Reported Driving in Past 30 Days

Speeding (10+ mph over) on Residential Streets

9.3%

43.5%

64.6%

43.8%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Did fairly often or regularly

Did in past 30 days

Completely unacceptable

Very serious threat

Respondents Who Reported Driving in Past 30 Days

Red Light Running

2.0%

35.6%

72.7%

54.7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Did fairly often or regularly

Did in past 30 days

Completely unacceptable

Very serious threat

Respondents Who Reported Driving in Past 30 Days

Drowsy Driving

2.4%

29.4%

81.3%

45.0%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Did fairly often or regularly

Did in past 30 days

Completely unacceptable

Very serious threat

Respondents Who Reported Driving in Past 30 Days

Checking or Updating Social Media/Internet

4.0%

17.3%

81.3%

45.0%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Did fairly often or regularly

Did in past 30 days

Completely unacceptable

Very serious threat

Respondents Who Reported Driving in Past 30 Days

Public Support for Countermeasures

0% 50% 100%

Requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets

Requiring in-person license renewal for drivers 85+

Red light cameras (urban)

Speed cameras on residential streets (10+ mph over)

Speed cameras on freeways (10+ mph over)

Ignition interlock for all drivers convicted of DWI (including 1st time)

Total ban on cell phones (hand-held and hands-free) for all drivers

Ban on hand-held cell phones for all drivers

Ban on reading, typing, or sending text or email while driving

Oppose Support

What can be done?

Culture change is possible

But:It is complex and long termThere is no “silver bullet” or one-size-fits-all solution

What can be done?

Adopt a Toward Zero Death visionReframe the debate as a Public Health issueApply holistic solutions, based on scienceIncrease accountability &

transparencyEvaluate, Evaluate, Evaluate

10.9.

8.

7.6.

What can be done?

Support more research, especially related to changing beliefs/attitudesRefine & expand public awareness efforts, including social norming approachesStart earlier – Target the youthDon’t use it as an excuseBe a Safety Ambassador

5.

4.

3.2.1.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a 501(c)(3) public charity located in Washington, DC that is dedicated to saving lives and

reducing injuries.

It is supported by donations from AAA/CAA Clubs, AAA/CAA members, and other organizations associated with AAA/CAA.

For more information, go to:

AAAFoundation.org

Many more findings and state-level results for 24 states are available in the full report on

our website