Speeding Triples the Odds of Crashing, New AAA Foundation Report Reveals
DEARBORN, MI – There are four driving behaviors directly associated with an increased crash risk.
DEARBORN, MI – There are four driving behaviors directly associated with an increased crash risk, according to a recent study sponsored by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Speeding was found to nearly triple the odds of being involved in a crash. Driving while drowsy was associated with a similar increase in the odds of being involved in a crash. When a driver’s eyes were off the road for more than two seconds, for any reason, the odds of a crash occurring were nearly double those of a driver paying attention to the road. The odds of a crash more than doubled when a driver exhibited aggressive driving behaviors. The data used for the analyses in this report were collected during the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). The 100-Car Study collected naturalistic, continuous, real-time data over a 12- to 13-month period from a sample of 109 primary drivers and 132 secondary drivers in the Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C. area. Video and electronic sensors in the vehicles allowed researchers to detect data on several driving behaviors (speeding, safety belt use, etc.). The AAA Foundation funded a study through VTTI to conduct the analysis to understand more about the relative risks associated with driving behaviors known to be dangerous from previous studies.
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