We’ve been looking into Gen Y’s behavior behind the wheel and unfortunately they’re engaging in some dangerous activities as we discovered in our recent Lifeline report aptly titled Risky Business. Nearly half of Millennials drive while tired and they’re also getting distracted while driving since their simultaneously using their mobile devices. Fully 45% of 16-34 year olds talk on the phone without a hands-free device, 38% send a text, and 34% go online while driving, which reaffirms that they want to be social and stay connected to their friends at all times. Millennials know there’s a risk involved when they send a tweet or respond to a text while driving, but they view it as a calculated risk worth taking since they don’t think anything bad will actually happen to them.
College students and non-students partake in these dangerous driving behaviors more than high schoolers, which is likely because they’re more experienced drivers and they feel confident in their abilitites. And considering how few Milllennials have received violations for these dangerous driving behaviors (besides for speeding) it’s no wonder they’re continuing to do so regardless of how risky it is for them and others.
