Millennial drivers between the ages of 19 and 20 are most likely to engage in dangerous driving behaviors, and those behaviors expose them to increased accident risks.
Those are the results of a new study that was published by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The study found that 88% of young millennials admitted to engaging in at least one risky driving activity over the past month. Â Some of these driving behaviors included texting while driving, running red lights, and driving at excessive speeds.
The increasing number of millennials on our roads could, therefore, partly explain the significant increase in traffic accident fatalities recorded in 2015. That year, there were 35,092 traffic accident fatalities, an increase of more than 7%, coming after years of declining fatalities. Those disturbing statistics indicate that there are other factors in play, besides non-adherence to distracted driving laws and speeding, which are contributing to this spike in fatalities.
What is even more alarming is that many millennial drivers have a very casual view of their dangerous and aggressive driving behaviors. They believe that these bad behaviors are perfectly acceptable and normal. Millennial drivers may fail to appreciate the risks of engaging in these particular types of dangerous behaviors, which puts all motorists, passengers, and pedestrians at risk.
The researchers looked at a number of dangerous behaviors such as speeding, running red lights, or texting behind the wheel. About 88.4% of motorists between 19 and 24 admitted to these driving behaviors, while the rate was 79.2% for drivers between 25 and 39, 75.2% for those between 40 and 59, and 69.3% Â for those between ages 16 and 18.
Drivers in the 19 to 24 age group seem to be a special cause for concern. Drivers in this age group were   1.6 times more likely than other drivers to admit to emailing or texting while driving. They were also 1.4 times more likely to report speeding. About half of all drivers in this age group reported driving through a red light.
As the millennial population continues to grow, and as baby boomers age and give up their driving privileges, we’re likely to see an increased population of these risky drivers on our roads. Our Atlanta car accident lawyers believe It is especially important for transportation agencies to formulate campaigns that specifically educate millennials about the fact that their behaviors have consequences not just for themselves, but also their families and other people on the road.