Distracted Driving: Older Generations Are More Guilty Of It Than We Think

When it comes down to things, we like to blame millennials for it. Oh, your local chain restaurant is closing? Those damn millennials and their damn avocado toast ruining everything! We seem to think that texting while driving is a younger generation thing, as those millennials are ruining our roads too. However, a new survey was conducted by Volvo and found that older generations are even more guilty of distracted driving than the younger generations!

Distracted Driving Survey

The survey was done by Harris on behalf of Volvo and showed us that older generations are regularly engaging in distracted driving. Jim Nichols of Volvo said in a statement, “Distracted driving is not unique to younger generations. In fact, it’s a problem we are seeing across generations and demographics.”

This is where it gets crazy, as the survey found that members of Generation X are more likely to use their phones while driving than Millennials or members of Generation Z, which was the youngest generation surveyed. Gen Z happened to be the most responsible, as they used their phones less than Gen Z and Millennials. Also, 89 percent of Gen Z respondents said they were looking for ways to cut down on distractions while driving. This is compared to 64 percent overall for the survey.

Parents Are Worst Offenders

It may shock many of you, but it looks like parents are the worst offenders of distracted driving! For this study, 73 percent of the parents that responded admitted to using their phones while driving. This is compared to 66 percent overall. To make it crazier, one in three parents said they used their phones often with their kids in the car with them!

Good Signs Though

From this study, it looks like people are taking the steps to help prevent distracted driving. Of the Gen Z respondents, 33 percent said they drive in silence to minimize distractions. Another 32 percent said they hit the “do not disturb” button on their phones, which is great. Of all the respondents, 55 percent said they felt that distracted driving was the top safety threat on the road. A big chunk of them (89 percent) felt that better education on the impact of distracted driving, which we totally agree with!