Page 4 - AAA Now! – AAA Northway – Spring 2022

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
AAA Finds Better Behavior Behind the Wheel,
But There’s Room for Improvement
New data shows drivers still speeding and using the phone
AAA
Volume 5, No.1
AAA NORTHWAY HEADQUARTERS OFFICE
433 State St., Suite 300, Schenectady, NY 12305 Telephone 518-370-5400 www.AAA.com
OFFICERS
James Phelps – President & CEO
Richard Jacobs – Regional President Andrew Iannotti – Executive Vice-President & COO
Amsterdam Office
Southside Square
1451 State Highway 5S, Amsterdam, NY 12010 Telephone: 518-684-0064
Mon-Fri: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
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1647 Route 9, Halfmoon, NY 12065 Telephone: 518-831-1860
Mon-Fri: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Auto Repair: 518-831-1861
Mon-Fri: 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Sat: 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Plattsburgh Office
20 Booth Drive, Plattsburgh, NY 12901 Telephone: 518-563-3925 Mon-Fri: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Queensbury Office
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Saratoga Springs Office
26 West Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Telephone: 518-587-8529
Mon-Fri: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Schenectady Office
1626 Union Street, Schenectady, NY 12309 Telephone: 518-374-4696 Mon-Fri: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Vestal Office
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Danielle Taylor - Editor
John T. Garcia - Managing Editor Angela Ilich - Director of Production
AAA NOW! (USPS 002-505) (ISSN 2475-2495) is the official publication of the AAA Northway, 433 State St. Suite 300, Schenectady, NY 12305 as of the Winter 2017 (January/February) edition. It is published four times annually by AAA Northway. Periodicals mail postage paid at Schenectady, NY and other additional mailing offices. A subscription price of $1.50 annually is paid through membership dues.
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TM
James Phelps President & CEO
Anew report finds unsafe driving behaviors, including red-light running, drowsy driving and driving impaired on cannabis or alcohol, have declined in the past three years. Some dangerous driving behaviors have fallen more than others, with drivers still admitting to speeding and using a handheld cell phone, posing a danger
on the roadways, according to new survey
Americans return to the daily commute, AAA reminds all motorists to practice safe driving behaviors by focusing on the task of driving, keeping their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.
The new data are from the AAA Foundation’s annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, highlighting the gap between drivers’ attitudes and reported behaviors. The following shows some of the improvements in unsafe driving behaviors from 2018 to 2020.
data from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. As more
The proportion of people who reported having engaged in the following unsafe
Change from 2018 to 2020 (%)
-7.8
-28.6* -17.9* -18.5*
-14.1 -35.9*
-45.9* -33.3*
driving behaviors at least once in the past 30 days:
UNSAFE DRIVING BEHAVIOR
Driven 15 mph over the speed limit on a freeway Driven while holding and talking on a cell phone Driven while reading a text or email on a cell phone Driven through a light that had just turned red Driven aggressively by switching lanes quickly
or very close behind another car
Driven when so tired it was hard to keep eyes open Driven when you had enough alcohol that
you thought you were over the legal limit
Driven within an hour of consuming cannabis
2018 2019 2020
(%) (%) (%)
48.9 48.2 45.1 52.1 43.2 37.2 41.3 38.6 33.9 31.4 31.1 25.6
24.8 26.5 21.3 27.0 23.6 17.3
10.9 9.8 5.9 6.6 6.5 4.4
* indicates a change is statistically significant at the 95% confidence level
While fewer Americans took to the roads in 2020 because of the pandemic, those that did appeared to take greater risks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that an estimated 38,680 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes — an increase of 7.2% and the largest number of fatalities since 2007.
While the reasons for this increase are being studied, the AAA Foundation’s TSCI reveals some areas of admitted
driving behavior that remain stubbornly high, despite declining since 2018: speeding and using a cell phone. Unfortunately, drivers who participated in the TSCI survey admit to risky driving behaviors despite knowing that loved ones, family or friends would strongly disapprove. Cell phone use is one such area where perception and behavior do not match.
The proportion of people who believe people who are important to them would somewhat or completely disapprove of the following distracted driving behaviors, which shows that these behaviors
Change from 2018 to 2020 (%)
+1.7
+0.2 +16.8*
are becoming more socially unacceptable
DISTRACTED DRIVING BEHAVIOR
Driving while typing an email or texting on a cell phone Driving while reading a text or email on a cell phone
Driving while holding and talking on a cell phone
* indicates a change is statistically significant at the 95% confidence level
AAA recommends these safety tips to keep in mind:
2018
(%)
93.9 93.8 79.3
2019 2020
(%) (%)
94.6 95.5 93.2 94.0 86.7 92.6
Obey speed limits. Drivers tend to overestimate the
time saved by speeding. You’d have to travel 100 miles to save roughly 5 minutes, moving at 70 mph instead of 65 mph. Speed kills and isn’t worth the cost. And recent AAA Foundation research shows that small speed increases were enough to raise a driver’s risk of severe injury or death.
Out of sight, out of mind. Stow your smartphone away, turn it to airplane mode or activate call/text blocking features like Apple’s Do Not Disturb.
Only drive sober. If you consume marijuana, alcohol or use potentially impairing prescription medications, then don’t drive. And if you’re going to drive, then don’t consume these substances.
Stay alert. Stop driving if you become sleepy because you could fall asleep at any time. Fatigue impacts reaction time, judgment, and vision, causing people who are very tired to behave in similar ways to those who are drunk.
For more information on safe driving, visit AAA.com/ TrafficSafety.
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SPRING 2022
Now!