ERIE, Pa., Oct. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With national
highway safety organizations sounding the alarm about an increase
in speeding during the early months of the pandemic and launching
programs to combat it, Erie Insurance recently commissioned a
national survey to gauge drivers' attitudes and behaviors regarding
speeding.
One in 10 drivers (11%) admitted to driving at extreme speeds
(20 mph or more over the speed limit) much more often than normal
during the early months of the pandemic. As for what they observed
about other drivers, a third (33%) said it seemed like a lot more
drivers than normal were speeding and of those, nearly six in 10
(57%) said they noticed more drivers going at extreme speeds.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, high
speeds make fatal car crashes more likely because it takes longer
to stop or slow down and crash energy increases exponentially as
speeds go up. IIHS says that in 2019, the most recent year for
which data are available, more than 9,000 deaths – or one in four
car crash fatalities – occurred in speed-related crashes.
"We commissioned this survey to draw attention to the fact that
speeding is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths, but
the good news is that it's a problem we can all do something
about," said Jon Bloom, vice
president of personal auto, Erie Insurance. "It's within the power
of every driver to simply drive within the speed limit. That would
save literally thousands of lives each year."
When asked why they sped much more often than normal early in
the pandemic, drivers who admitted to doing so said it was
because:
The roads were not
congested so they felt it was safe to drive faster than posted
speed limits
|
66%
|
They're a good
driver so felt they could drive safely, even at high
speeds
|
46%
|
It seemed like there
was far less law enforcement out, so they felt they could
speed without getting a ticket
|
34%
|
They thought that in
general, posted speed limits are slower than necessary and
they prefer to drive faster
|
25%
|
The empty roads were
a good opportunity to see how fast their car could
go
|
17%
|
While 46% of all drivers who sped much more often than normal
during the pandemic said it was because they were a good driver
some felt they could drive safely even at high speeds, the youngest
drivers were significantly more likely than any other age group to
say this. Youthful drivers seemed to be the most confident, as 71%
of 18-24-year-olds felt this way, compared with only 19% of
45-54-year-olds.
The survey also asked drivers about so-called "traffic calming"
measures such as lane narrowing and chicanes, which are deliberate
curves put into an otherwise straight road. A narrow road with
curves can be safer because drivers have to pay more attention and
drive more slowly than they do on a wide, straight one where it's
easier to speed, but most drivers assumed the opposite. Sixty-nine
percent of drivers said straight, wide roads tend to be safer
compared with only 13% who said narrow, curved roads are safer. The
rest weren't sure. As for how drivers feel about these measures,
nearly half of drivers (46%) oppose lane narrowing and more than a
third (36%) oppose chicanes.
The survey also asked drivers to weigh in on technology that
uses traffic sign recognition to adjust a car's speed as the speed
limit changes. But some cars also enable the driver to set a
tolerance level so their car will automatically adjust to go up to
20 mph over the posted speed limit. 17% of drivers thought that was
fine and that drivers should be able to do it if they want, but 42%
viewed this as dangerous because it would make it too easy for
drivers to consistently go up to 20 mph over the speed limit.
To see an infographic, video, and additional results from the
Erie Insurance survey, visit
www.erieinsurance.com/blog/speeding-survey.
Methodology
The survey was conducted online by Falls
& Co. on behalf of Erie Insurance, from August 22 through September 2, 2021, among 500
U.S. licensed drivers ages 18 and older. Falls & Co.
established the sampling quotas, designed the questionnaire,
tabulated the survey responses, and managed the overall project.
Falls & Co. used Dynata (Plano,
TX) to administer the survey via the internet, including
mobile devices, to Dynata's captive U.S. panels who met the age,
gender, and regional demographic
criteria.
About Erie Insurance
According to A.M. Best Company,
Erie Insurance Group, based in Erie,
Pennsylvania, is the 12th largest homeowners insurer, 13th
largest automobile insurer and 13th largest commercial lines
insurer in the United States based
on direct premiums written. Founded in 1925, Erie Insurance is a
Fortune 500 company and the 15th largest property/casualty insurer
in the United States based on
total lines net premium written. Rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best,
ERIE has more than 6 million
policies in force and operates in 12 states and the District of Columbia.
News releases and more information are available on ERIE's website at www.erieinsurance.com.
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SOURCE Erie Insurance Group