July 14, 2011
Agency
2011 GMAC Insurance Study Shows Drivers Are Distracted
Tweeting while driving? The GMAC Insurance Distracted Driving Study shows smart phones are drawing drivers’ attention behind the wheel.
An alarmingly high percentage of drivers are still using various features of their smart phones while operating their vehicles, according to the Distracted Driving Study which is part of the 7th Annual GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test. According to the study, almost two-thirds of drivers say they make phone calls and 8 in 10 drivers admitted to reading and sending text messages while stopped at red lights. Fifty percent of the drivers in the study say they make phone calls while driving in “slow traffic” or “while driving on an open highway.” Fifteen percent of drivers from the study admitted to sending and reading texts while driving. Conversely, 80 percent of drivers who took part in the study say it is never safe to text, email or use their smart phones while driving.
The results revealed people are saying they mostly use their phones for calling and text messaging while driving. But, almost ten percent of drivers admitted to sending and reading emails and using their downloaded applications on their smart phones while operating their vehicles. About three percent of drivers say they use their smart phones to take pictures and some are even updating their Twitter and Facebook pages.
Here is more from the study…
2011 GMAC Insurance Study Shows Drivers Are Distracted
The results from the 2011 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test suggest drivers are not paying their full attention to the road. Instead, drivers are engaging in a number of distracting activities—some more shocking than others. Distracting driving habits range from smart phone and GPS use, to newspaper reading and even DVD watching! The following activities are ranked as the most common distracting driver habits as revealed by this year’s GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test:
1. Using a smart phone
2. Eating
3. Adjusting a GPS
4. Selecting songs on a MP3 player
5. Driving barefoot
In its seventh year, the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test has continued to increase awareness about the importance of driver safety. It has also discouraged drivers from engaging in these types of dangerous and distracting activities.
To find out more about how your knowledge of the “road rules” stacks up to others’ take the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test:
http://www.nationaldriverstest.com/
For a quote in Texas from GMAC Insurance or our other quality companies send me an email, complete your own quote with our self-quoter, or complete the Auto Insurance Quote Request Form .
Damon Castillo