Drivers who have been in at least one crash in the past two years are significantly more likely to engage in risky behaviors like speeding or texting, according to new research.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) Foundation for Traffic Safety study found that was even the case when drivers thought they might be caught by the police.

Now, after three months of staying at home, the AAA is urging drivers to keep everyone safe on the roads and is warning against falling back into dangerous driving habits.

“While drivers acknowledge that certain activities behind the wheel – like texting, are dangerous, some do them anyway,” said Dr David Yang, Executive Director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

“We need to be aware of the serious consequences of engaging in these types of dangerous driving behavior and change course.”

The Foundation’s annual Traffic Safety Culture Index (TSCI), which highlights the gap between drivers’ attitudes and their reported behaviors, found that drivers perceive distracted, aggressive and impaired driving as dangerous. Yet many  admitted to engaging in at least one of these exact behaviors in the 30 days before the survey. The numbers were even higher for those involved in a recent crash:

  • 50 percent of those involved in a recent crash admitted to talking on a hand-held device while driving in the past month vs 42 percent not involved in a crash.
  • 43 percent of those involved in a recent crash admitted to texting while driving in the past month vs 27 percent not involved in a crash.
  • 39 percent of those involved in a recent crash admitted to running a red light in the past month vs 30 percent not involved in a crash.

The annual TSCI was first issued in 2008. The latest report is online: AAAFoundation.org