Survey Finds Bad Habits In Drivers Have Increased Over The Past Year

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Does it seem like driving these days is different than before the pandemic?

Does it feel more hazardous?

A recent survey of drivers found most of us see the bad habits in others and reluctantly admit we've picked up a few ourselves.

Those who spend their lives on the road say there is no doubt the carelessness dynamic has definitely gone up.

"Honestly, people just don't care about any other drivers out on the road beside themselves," says Brittany Clair of Ultimate Defensive Driving. "Distractions are a really big part of why people are driving so terribly now."

In the GunthnerKia.com survey, 34% of respondents conceded they have picked up bad habits and 85% doubt they could pass the written driver's test again.

Meanwhile, 1-in-5 Pennsylvanians think they'd flunk the road test.

That doesn't surprise Clair who sees plenty of examples of behavior that would flunk a test.

"Direct turning on red without fully coming to a stop," Clair says.

She says the lack of turn signal use is chronic and then there are stop signs.

"Rolling through a stop sign," she says is an example.

As we watched on stop sign for about 40 minutes only one vehicle came to a complete stop, and it was a police car.

Clair says speeding is another issue.

"Going 5, 10, 15 [miles] over the speed limit," she says.

She says often young drivers mimic what their parents do.

"Then they just, you know, carry on all these behaviors, you know, domino effect right on down," she explains.

The survey also indicated many drivers believe the minimum age for drivers should be raised and at some point older drivers should be retested and retested on a regular basis.

Clair says everyone on the road just needs to be more defensive and never assume the other driver is going to do the expected.

Expect the unexpected.