DOT Survey Shows Almost Half of Drivers View Speeding as a Problem

 The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) says its latest survey of American drivers finds nearly half of all drivers questioned view speeding as a problem on the nation's roads, while about one in five admits that behind the wheel, "I try to get where I am going as fast as I can."

The most recently released survey of driver conduct and beliefs by DOT's National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), out last December, reports 91% of drivers surveyed agreed with the statement "everyone should obey the speed limits because it's the law."

About four of every five drivers agreed driving at or near the speed limit helps drivers avoid road dangers and car crashes. Nearly half of those surveyed (48%) called it very important to take steps to reduce speeding on the nation's roads; the same percentage thought speed limits should always be enforced.

Despite these views, however, a substantial majority at the same time voiced less safety-conscious attitudes. Over one in four drivers said speeding "is something I do without thinking" and said they enjoyed "the feeling of driving fast." About one in six of the survey's respondents said they agreed driving above the speed limit is "not dangerous for skilled drivers."

The most recent National Survey of Speeding Attitudes and Behavior is NHTSA's third (earlier versions appeared in 1997 and 2002). It was based on phone interviews with 6,144 U.S. households during five months in 2011. Because young drivers are more likely to engage in risky behavior behind the wheel, the latest study over-sampled younger drivers.

Based on responses to survey questions on speeding, the study identified three groups of drivers: 30% were frequent speeders, 40% occasionally speed, and 30% do not speed. Each group's self-reported behavior closely matched the attitudes they expressed. https://askcompetentlawyer.com/creative-arts-lawyers/ Fully half of the surveyed drivers between ages 16 and 20 were classified as speeders, compared with only 15% of drivers age 65 and up. Male drivers were more likely to admit speeding than were female drivers (36% of males were classified as speeders, compared with 28% of female drivers surveyed).

Drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 were not only the age group most likely to have speed-friendly attitudes, but also to say they had been in at least one speed-related collision. Even though many of them had not been driving for a full five years, 11% of the youngest drivers reported having been in a speed-related crash within the past five years. For drivers of all ages, the comparable figure was 4%.

The NHTSA study also found another group highly likely to be speeders: drivers with annual household income over $100,000; the answers of 42% of that group indicated a propensity to speed. Only a quarter of respondents with annual household incomes of $30,000 or less gave similar answers.

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