In conjunction with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, Erie Insurance asked drivers what they do behind the wheel.
Besides the obvious phone distractions of texting and talking, other distractions people admitted to ranged from public displays of affection to personal grooming to taking selfies.
The survey found that 15 per cent of drivers had experienced a romantic encounter while driving, another 15 per cent had styled their hair, nine per cent had changed clothes, eight per cent had put on make-up, four per cent had brushed their teeth and four per cent had taken selfies. Unbelievably, three per cent of drivers claimed to have switched drivers and another three per cent reported going to the bathroom while driving.
Other reported distractions included putting in contact lenses or eye drops; curling eyelashes; scratching off lottery tickets; and even playing the guitar while driving.
“A distraction is anything that causes a driver to take their eyes off the road, their hands off the wheel, or their mind off their primary task of driving safely,” said Doug Smith, senior vice president of personal lines at Erie Insurance. “Our survey found drivers unfortunately are engaging in a wide range of distracting and potentially dangerous behaviors.”
The online survey of 1,915 U.S. drivers aged 18 and older was conducted in February by Harris Poll on behalf of Erie Insurance.
