There is no doubt that people in different regions of the country have different habits, routines and traditions. A recent report suggests people in the Midwest just might be the safest drivers on the nation’s roadways.
The data to back that up was collected over the past year and comes from a smartphone application. The app is said to be used by millions of drivers who wanted more information to examine and improve their driving habits. It is able to track speeds, phone use and sudden turns in a vehicle, among other things.
The results show some regional similarities among certain states. For instance, in three states in New England drivers were more prone to speeding. In two states in the Mid-Atlantic region drivers were more prone to making sudden turns. Out in California, drivers had a tendency to accelerate in a risky fashion.
In several Southern states, drivers were more likely to use their phones while driving. These findings point to a dark irony underlying the smartphone-based report. As many officials have noted, texting or otherwise using smartphones while driving is a very risky behavior that leads to many deadly car accidents.
For Minnesotans, there is one welcome piece of news in the report. According to the app, drivers in the Midwest are among the safest. But that doesn’t mean that drivers in Minnesota are completely without driving tendencies that may lead to car accidents. Our state still sees drunk drivers, distracted drivers and reckless drivers who cause devastating car collisions that result in serious injuries. When this happens, the liable parties need to be held responsible for the damages and injuries they cause.
Source: Huffington Post, “Where Are The Most Distracted Drivers? Where Are The Safest?” Tim Henderson, April 13, 2017
