AAA Colorado ~ EnCompass Magazine

September | October 2006
Volume 80 Issue 5

Commentary Your thoughts on distracted driving

Distractions. It's enough to make a driver worry.

Earlier this year a AAA national survey, which included nearly 500 Colorado members, indicated that distracted drivers are a major safety concern of AAA members nationwide and in Colorado. To informally confirm the survey's results, AAA Colorado asked members in the previous issue of EnCompass to complete three of the survey's same questions. More than 600 readers responded.

For the most part, EnCompass reader responses closely mirrored the responses of Colorado members who had answered the national survey. Here's what respondents said.

Top safety concerns as a motorist

The top safety concerns for Colorado AAA members answering the EnCompass survey, in order of importance, were: distracted drivers (478 respondents), aggressive drivers (467), drunk drivers (443), sharing the road with large trucks (95), unlicensed drivers (89), drowsy drivers (78), unrestrained or improperly restrained children (56), poor road quality (44), and "other" — most commonly written in under "other" was cell phone use (30).

The AAA Colorado members in the national survey rated drunk drivers first, followed by distracted drivers, then aggressive drivers.

How distracting is it?

We asked respondents to rate a list of activities on a scale from 1 to 6, according to how distracting they believed these activities were to a driver. The clear winner: hang up! Use of cell phones when driving soared to the top of the list in both surveys.

Personal grooming ranked second, followed by eating or drinking while driving. Adjusting vehicle controls was the fourth-ranked distraction.

Other problems, ranking fifth and sixth in the survey, were distractions caused by other people in the vehicle and distractions outside the car.

Should cell phone use be limited?

Only 7% of respondents to the EnCompass survey said there should be no restrictions at all; 67% said that all cell phone use should be banned in vehicles, except in emergencies, and 26% said that only hands-free devices should be allowed.

The AAA Colorado members who answered the national survey weren't so tough on cell phones: 12% in favor of no restrictions, 43% in favor of a total ban and 45% in favor of hands-free devices only. Thanks to all those who responded to both surveys. With members' safety concerns in mind, AAA Colorado will continue its commitment to educating the motoring public about these and other safety issues for everyone who shares the road.