Connecticut drivers, law enforcement and legislators are keenly aware of the dangers of encountering a distracted driver. When there is a car accident, it is nearly automatic that the first thought will be that it was due to a distracted driver. Research is examining the issue to delve deeper into it to understand who does it most often. One study examined age-related demographics and came to some interesting conclusions as to who is distracted behind the wheel.
The study says that Millennials and members of Generation X were more prone to use their phones behind the wheel than younger drivers in the category of Generation Z. More than 80 percent of drivers who took part in the survey said they used a cellphone behind the wheel. That is higher than the 71 percent of Generation Z who admitted doing so. 71 percent of drivers overall said they used their device from time to time when behind the wheel. Almost two-thirds said they were seeking ways to reduce the number of distractions they dealt with.
Another group — the Silent Generation — who were born before World War II ended, used their phones when driving the least. The underlying implication in the study is that younger drivers feel greater anxiety when there are available distractions and feel peace of mind when they set the phone down. 77 percent of those in Generation Z felt anxiety when they had too many things to do. Overall, that number was 59 percent. An estimated one in three said they drive in silence to reduce the number of distractions. 13 percent said they tried to have days in which they avoided digital items.
The youngest drivers are those in Generation Z who were born in the mid-1990s. Generation X are those born from the mid-1960s to the early-1980s. Millennials are those who were born in the mid-1980s to the early-1990s. Parents are shown to use their phones when driving their children, coming in at around one-third. In the study, there were more than 2,000 respondents with 1,665 being motorists.
Distraction is one of the biggest issues confronting drivers today. Seemingly endless studies are done to show who is driving while distracted, why they are doing it, and the number of accidents it can cause. When there is an auto accident, it will inevitably lead to vast medical expenses, lost time on the job, a long-term series of issues to deal with personally and financially, and even death. Those who have been injured or lost a loved one in car accidents may want to learn more about their right to pursue compensation.
