We know, you’re the best driver and had life gone just a little bit differently you would be hitting the track with Penske Racing Teams very own Brad Keselowski, Will Powers or Kurt Busch. Perhaps, though, that’s just a heavy dose of driver over-confidence. A new survey from insurance company Allstate reveals that the majority of drivers out there tend to overestimate their skills behind the wheel.
Allstate surveyed 1000 adults throughout the U.S. and 64 percent think they are “good” to “excellent” drivers. Survey also found that residents of neighboring states also tend to have a bad rap, with 53 percent of respondents saying out-of-state drivers are “average” or “poor” behind the wheel.
Survey respondents almost universally agreed that teens and senior citizens are poor drivers. That also may explain why the Allstate poll found that participants wanted stricture regulations for teen driving. The survey data alleges that 76 percent of American support raising the minimum age at which a teen can get a learner’s permit to 16, while a further 69 percent favor imposing a three-step graduated licensing program. More than 60 percent said they think drivers under the age of 18 should have a night driving curfew or night or restrictions on carrying non-family passengers. On top of that, 81 percent of survey respondents said they would favor a ban on cell phone use for teenage drivers.
Even though drivers tend to overestimate their own abilities and look down on those they share the road with, the survey highlighted that most drivers admit to poor driving practices. Participants openly confessed that close to 90 percents of them exceed the posted speed limit, 34 percent have sent an email or text message while behind the wheel, 45 percent admit to driving while over tired, and 15 percent of drivers confess that they’ve driven under the influence of alcohol. To build the case about over-confidence behind the wheel 56 percent of survey respondents admit to being involved in an accident, just though 28 percent said the incident was their fault.
We at Penske Automotive Group strongly advise against any of the poor driving practices mentioned above. Please stick to watching our racing team as a spectator and don’t try to play out the races on your local roads. Safety is important to us and we hope you are taking all the necessary precautions on the road to arrive at your destination safely. So — still think you’re a good driver?
