Millennials Are Terrible Drivers, Study Says

Previous generations have always had a tendency to be critical about those who followed, which is why Millennials have been receiving the brunt of disapproval from those who came before. With the spread of the internet and globalization, however, those born in the late 80s and onward seem to be getting a worse reputation than most. Now, a new study is only adding fuel to the fire by branding Millennials as the worst drivers on the road.

The study was done by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which released a report stating that an incredible number of drivers aged 19 to 24 have displayed reckless behavior on the roads in an incredibly short span of time. The Foundation’s executive director, Dr. David Yang was especially shocked at how so many of the offenders actually thought that they were practicing safe driving.

“Alarmingly, some of the drivers ages 19-24 believe that their dangerous driving behavior is acceptable,” Dr. Yang said. “It’s critical that these drivers understand the potentially deadly consequences of engaging in these types of behaviors and that they change their behavior and attitudes in order to reverse the growing number of fatalities on U.S. roads.”

The research indicates that as high as 88 percent of drivers within that age range has driven irresponsibly within a 30-day period. Some of the dangerous activities that they engaged in while driving includes texting, speeding, and running red lights.

Reckless driving has become particularly problematic of late due to the increased number of traffic-related deaths for the second year in a row, Forbes reports. If the majority of next generation’s drivers are not practicing road safety, it wouldn’t be surprising if those numbers keep on rising year after year. If this is the case, the need for autonomous vehicles is even bigger than anyone would have thought.