The most ticket- and accident prone drivers are statistically neither the youngest, nor the oldest … [+]
It’s a well-accepted notion that those with newly minted licenses are the most ticket and accident-prone motorists, followed by those within retirement age. As it turns out, according to a recent study conducted by the website Insurify.com, it’s neither.
The site looked at over two million car insurance applications and ranked drivers in each of four generations according to their driving records, specifically their collective propensity for getting into an at-fault accident and/or receiving a moving violation. This includes Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, Gen Xers who entered the world between 1963 and 1980, Millennials from between 1981 and 1986, and Gen Z drivers born between 1997 and 2004.
Age is, of course one of the major determining factors in auto insurance costs, with the youngest drivers typically being assessed the highest premiums. This is in no small part because car crashes are the leading cause of death among Americans ages 15 to 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One report suggests adding a teen driver to a married couple’s auto insurance policy boosts rates by an average 79 percent.
But the Insurify.com study found that those within the Gen Z bracket are not the worst of all motorists. Rather, that distinction goes to the Millennials, now in their 30’s. This generation was found to have the highest proportion of drivers with a moving violation or at-fault accident on their records at 27.31 percent, with 13.60 percent receiving a speeding ticket, and 2.53 being nailed for driving under the influence. The latter is by far the highest percentage among the four generations. What’s more, Millennials were determined to be the most likely motorists to run a red light and be charged with reckless driving.
The safest and most cautious motor vehicle operators are Baby Boomers. To be sure, the oldest drivers losing their abilities are the most likely to be involved in crashes, but the Boomer generation cuts a wide swath in terms of their ages (56-74). Insurify.com’s study found that 15.25 percent of motorists within this generation have an infraction or at-fault accident on their records, with 4.6 percent racking up a violation for speeding, and just 1.01 percent being issued a DUI.
Gen X and Gen Z drivers are stuck in the middle in terms of their rates of violations and collisions. It’s 18.80 percent for Gen X motorists and 25.37 percent for Gen Z drivers. Speeding ticket rates are 7.87 percent for the former and 13.98 percent for the latter. Gen X posts a 1.76 percent DUI rate, while it’s at 0.91 percent for Gen Z, which is the lowest proportion among all drivers.
For those keeping score, the national average of drivers among all age groups with at least one moving violation or at-fault accident on their records stands at 22.75 percent, with 10.65 percent of all license holders being nabbed for speeding, and 1.81 percent receiving a citation for a DUI. You can read the full report here.
One aspect missing from this study, however, is the likelihood of those who succumb to distracted driving, particularly text messaging while behind the wheel. Younger drivers, not surprisingly, are the most likely perpetrators in this regard. According to the CDC, drivers under the age of 20 are responsible for the highest proportion of fatal distraction-related crashes. A CDC study conducted in 2017 found that 42 percent of high school students who drove within a prior 30-day period reported sending a text or email while driving. What’s more, drivers who reported frequent texting were found to be less likely to wear a seatbelt and more likely to be drinking and driving.
Old or young, let’s all be careful out there.
