Drugged drivers and those distracted by their cell phones are big problems California’s motorists would like to see addressed, according to a Traffic Safety Survey released Tuesday by the Office of Traffic Safety.
Late this past summer, information gatherers questioned 1,887 drivers age 18 and over at gas stations in 15 counties throughout the Golden State.
The survey found that more than 95 percent of drivers said that people who operate vehicles while under the influence of legal and illegal drugs are a problem. Along those same lines, almost 90 percent supported sobriety checkpoints.
Meanwhile, 51.5 percent of respondents said cell phone use, whether texting or calling, while driving is the biggest safety problem, up from 38.8 percent in 2011 and 18.3 percent in 2010.
In other findings, 22.7 percent of respondents said speeding and aggressive driving was a problem, while 16.5 percent cited other driver behavior as a concern and 10 percent frowned at poor road surfaces.
The survey results will help identify and track driver attitudes, self-reported driving behavior, awareness of high visibility enforcement efforts and traffic safety issue awareness and education campaigns.
View the entire findings at www.ots.ca.gov.
