The Bad Drivers Facebook group was created in January 2018 and has amassed over 633k members since. Clearly, there is no shortage of horrible drivers out there, or Facebook users ready to mock them at every chance they get. But the page does beg the question: how are there so many terrible drivers out there? It must be a miracle that anyone can get to their destinations without a maniac with a mattress on top of their car or a Prius going the wrong way crashing into them.
In fact, it might be a miracle we get anywhere safely. According to the Bureau of Transportation, approximately 13 car accidents occur in the United States every minute. This means that annually, about 6.75 million accidents happen in the US. There are plenty of factors that increase or decrease a person’s risk of being in an accident though, including their age, the time they are driving, how the weather is and where they live. Apparently, Fridays are the riskiest days to be on the road, and for any other day of the week, the hours of 3pm-6pm are the most dangerous. It makes sense, as most people are commuting from schools or work during that rush hour time, but it’s a reminder to never let your guard down when traveling home.
Holidays also tend to be the most dangerous times to be on the roads. Whether it's due to the massive amounts of people traveling, increased drinking and driving rates, or drivers being so relaxed that they stop paying attention, holidays are notorious for their increased car crash rates. During 2021, the holidays that saw the most fatal car accidents in the US were Memorial Day (the entire weekend), Labor Day (the entire weekend), the Fourth of July (the entire weekend), Father’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Columbus Day, Mother’s Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Veteran’s Day.
Clearly there is a trend of three day weekends leading to devastating accidents. I would have expected New Year’s and Christmas to be on the list as well, but perhaps on Christmas, drivers tend to stay put the entire day. And I would hope that on New Year’s people are smart enough to use ride-sharing apps to minimize the amount of drunk drivers on the road. As funny as it is to mock bad drivers, it’s important to remember how dangerous driving poorly can be. One small mistake can ruin a holiday forever.
So how does someone become a bad driver? Are they doomed from the start or do bad habits creep up over time? We all needed to have a basic understanding of the rules of the road when we initially got our driver’s licenses, and someone had to sign off on our skills claiming that we were ready for the responsibility of the open road. Are people just great at concealing their reckless behavior, or are the employees handing out driver’s licenses just as bad at their jobs as some people are at driving?
Well, according to one study, being a terrible driver might actually be genetic. The study involved testing how well 29 participants drove on “a simulator that required them to learn the nuances of a track with difficult curves and turns”. 7 of the participants were born with a certain gene that limits the availability of a protein called BDNF. BDNF is responsible for “[strengthening] a person's memory by supporting communication among brain cells and keeping them in peak shape”, and according to lead researcher Steven Cramer, a neurology professor at the University of California, Irvine, the participants with this gene “make more errors from the get-go, and they forget more of what they learned after time away.” So it might not be your fault if you can't stay in your lane on the road! But if you have this gene, let me know, so I can be sure to steer clear of you.
Certain groups of people are also more prone to being bad drivers. Stereotypically, elderly people are thought to be poor drivers, as their eyesight, memory and reflexes might not be as sharp as they used to be. But according to the insurance company AAA, young people might actually be worse. AAA conducted a study analyzing drivers from various demographics to see who was engaging in the riskiest behaviors, from texting while driving to running red lights or speeding. They found that over 88% of the participants between the ages of 19-24 were guilty of committing a traffic offense. In fact, almost 50% of this young age group even admitted to blasting through an intersection right after a light had turned red, when they actually had time to stop. But they do know right from wrong, as only 14% of this age group said they consider that behavior acceptable. Perhaps they are more of the “do as I say, not as I do” type.
Young drivers are more likely to text while driving or be caught speeding as well. Perhaps it’s because they are always in a hurry and used to instant gratification, but they just don’t seem to be able to wait to send a text or allow their trip to take 5 minutes longer than they anticipated. AAA found that drivers between the ages of 19-24 were 1.6 times more likely to read a text while driving and almost twice as likely as other drivers to send text messages while behind the wheel. This risky age group was also 1.4 times more likely than older drivers to speed by 10mph or more over the posted limit. It is natural for teenagers and young adults to feel invincible, but that’s no excuse for putting themselves and other drivers at risk.
Another reason some drivers make risky decisions behind the wheel is because they are suffering from road rage. While this condition does not require a medical diagnosis, the symptoms are obvious and can be detrimental to your health. People who are afflicted with road rage tend to tailgate, honk frequently, yell at other drivers, use profanities, and pose a risk to themselves and drivers around them. Whether it’s traffic or the behavior of someone else that sets them off, road ragers are more likely to speed and cut off other cars, leading to a host of dangerous accidents.
When it comes to who is at a higher risk for falling victim to road rage, men are more likely than women. AAA reports that higher percentages of men than women admitted they have engaged in speeding, preventing another driver from merging, gesturing at other drivers, honking, driving through red lights and switching lanes rapidly out of anger before. But there is also a generational divide. People between the ages of 25-39 were the most likely to exhibit patterns of road rage. Interestingly, the summer is also the most common time of year for road rage incidents to occur. I would expect people to be more at ease if they are on holiday, but perhaps the warm weather really gets drivers heated, even in their air conditioned cars.
