A new study finds that while many motorists have a high opinion of their driving skills, the reality may be quite different. The study finds that many drivers remain unaware of basic safety rules, including road signs, and have a much more elevated opinion of their own driving skills than the reality, thereby increasing their auto accident risks.
The results of the study were released by insurer Progressive. The company focused on 599 motorists, and these motorists were asked questions about their driving skills and knowledge. The results of the study clearly find a gap between drivers’ knowledge of motoring safety including basic road signs like those related to school safety, and the reality on the roads.
For instance, the results of the study finds that an overwhelming majority or 94% of the drivers were able to identify a sign for a lane ending. However, only 65% were able to identify a school crossing sign correctly. This lack of knowledge is extremely dangerous. Driving safely and lowering speed limits in school zones and around school crossing areas is absolutely imperative, and failure to identify these signs can increase the risk of car accidents involving child pedestrians.
Drivers were also clearly divided in their knowledge of other important road safety signs. For instance, 88% were able to recognize the sign for a divided highway, but only 79% were able to recognize the sign for a winding road. not being able to recognize a sign like this places the driver at risk of a car accident because of the lack of knowledge of the kind of road that is coming up ahead of him. A winding road sign, for instance, warns the driver about a number of curves coming up one after the other, and if the driver is not prepared for this or drives too fast to navigate these curves safely, the risk of an auto accident increases significantly.
The study found that many drivers, especially male drivers, were very likely to overestimate their knowledge of traffic safety and their driving skills. The study found, for example, that most male truck drivers claimed that they follow traffic safety rules all the time, but in reality they failed to identify critical traffic safety signs and had been involved in an accident at least once over the last five years. People seem to mistake good driving for confident driving, not realizing that unless safe driving is part of the equation, one may not be a good driver at all.
The Atlanta car crash attorneys at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons injured in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to a lawyer at our firm and determine if you have legal options to a claim for damages. You may be eligible for compensation that includes medical expenses, lost income and other types of damages. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case.