Study Finds Millennials Atop List of Worst Drivers On The Road

Study Finds Millennials Atop List of Worst Drivers On The Road

As a Baltimore Chiropractor I spend the majority of my clinic time treating patients with headaches, neck pain, and back pain. My clinic has seen a sharp increase in the number of auto accident-related injuries as of late. Typically patients that have suffered Baltimore auto accident injuries present with acute post-traumatic headaches, neck pain with radiating arm pain, and occasionally, lower back pain with radiating leg pain. It is not unusual for someone to be sitting at a red light to get rear-ended at a high rate of speed. Some people are lucky enough to walk away from these auto accidents without injuries. Others are not as lucky and suffer a lot of pain and inconvenience in their lives as they attempt to rehab their injuries and return to their normal activities.

I find myself curious about cultural behaviors and how they impact the injuries and patients we see in my clinic. I came across an article from AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. They conducted a survey to look at why the number of driving related fatalities reached over 35,000 in 2015, which reflected a 7 perfect increase year over year, the highest single year increase in nearly five decades. Many professionals suspect that distracted driving is largely to blame for this problem. Our Fells Point clinic is at the epicenter of young professional/millenial living. It comes as no surprise then, as a result, that we have been seeing a large uptick in the number of Baltimore auto accident related

The study found that drivers between the ages of 19-24 were most likely to behave in risky behaviors behind the wheel. They defined risky behaviors as speeding (greater than 10 mph over posted speed limits), running red lights, and texting/emailing while driving. The percentage of drivers per age group that participated in risky behavior are as follows

1. Drivers aged 19-24 (88.4 percent) [Millenials]
2. Drivers ages 25-39 (79.2 percent)
3. Drivers aged 40-59 (75.2 percent)
4. Drivers aged 16-18 (69.3 percent)
5. Drivers aged 75+ (69.1 percent)
6. Drivers aged 60-74 (67.3 percent)

Its interesting to note that even the “Safest” drivers participated in risky behaviors at a nearly 2/3 rate! That means for every car you drive past on the road 2 out of 3 of them are either likely to be speeding, running red lights, or texting while driving. Its no wonder why we are seeing such an alarming increase in the number of Baltimore auto accident injuries – no one is watching where they are driving!

The biggest take away from this study is that “some drivers ages 19-24 believe that their dangerous driving behavior is acceptable.” To me, its the same reason why people smoke cigarettes despite the fact that there are surgeon general warnings on the side of the package. Everyone understands that there is a risk but no one seems to think that the risk applies to them. We all think we are unique and special and that bad things only happen to other people. Unfortunately, this is not true and we all have to do our part to make the roads safer since we all share them.

What do you think of the results? Do you think they are accurate? Or what else do you think is causing the increase in number of auto accident injuries across the U.S. Feel free to comment below if you have some input.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured as a result of a Baltimore auto accident injury, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic. We now have two convenient locations in Baltimore City to help you recover from your injuries.

Dr. Gulitz