Rise in Dangerous Driving: 78% See Cellphone Distraction as a Major Problem

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As millions of Americans prepare to hit the road for holiday travel, many U.S. adults feel that driving in their area has become more dangerous than it was before the coronavirus pandemic.

Most see cellphone distraction behind the wheel as a major problem in their local community, and about a quarter report witnessing road rage often, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

While the pandemic-era spike in the number of fatalities from vehicle crashes in the United States has abated some, 49% of Americans today say people in their community are driving less safely compared with five years ago. This includes 23% who say people in their area are driving a lot less safely.

A far smaller share (9%) say driving behaviors in their area have become safer. Another 35% don’t see a change in people’s driving habits.

Some people are more likely than others to perceive an uptick in dangerous driving in their area:

*51% of Americans who personally drive at least once a week say people are driving less safely today, compared with 36% of those who drive only a few times a month or less often.

*Americans living in suburban areas (51%) are slightly more likely than those in urban and rural places (46% each) to say people in their community are driving less safely than they were five years ago.

Experts have linked the pandemic-era increase in vehicle fatalities to factors such as speeding, lax seatbelt use, and alcohol- or drug-impaired driving. Our new survey also asked Americans about some of these dangerous driving habits in their own communities.

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