Risky drivers drove more during pandemic, AAA says
ABC News
Traffic deaths surged during the pandemic, despite less cars on the road. A new study from AAA found an increase in reckless drivers on the roads may be to blame.
Traffic deaths surged during the pandemic, despite less cars on the road. A new study from AAA found an increase in reckless drivers on the roads may be to blame.
The study, conducted in fall of 2020, found an estimated 4% of drivers in the United States reported they increased their driving during the pandemic. Those drivers tended to be younger and mostly male, AAA said.
That group also reported to engage in risky driving behaviors such as distracted driving, speeding, aggressive driving, substance-impaired driving and not using seatbelts, the report found.
"Our research finds that higher-risk motorists accounted for a greater share of drivers during the pandemic than before it," Dr. David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, said in a release. "Safety-minded individuals drove less, while many who increased their driving tended to engage in riskier behaviors behind the wheel."
