Risk from distracted driving a ‘major concern’ for 47% of polled consumers

Nearly nine in 10 respondents to a recent consumer survey reported that the risk of getting into a vehicle collision due to distracted driving is either a “major “concern” or “somewhat of a concern,” while nearly two in three say they store food, water and flashlights in case of a disaster, according to the second annual Travelers Consumer Risk Index.

Travelers’ risk index is based on a phone survey of 801 American consumers conducted by Hart Research Associates.

When asked whether they were concerned about getting into an accident due to another person’s distracted driving, 47% reported it was a “major concern” while 42% reported it was “somewhat” of a concern.

“Asked if they fear that their own distraction by a mobile device or other technology would lead to trouble, 31% say it is a major concern or somewhat of a concern, 51% say they are not concerned at all, 17% say it is not too much of a concern and 1% say they are not sure,” Travelers stated.

Respondents were also asked about severe weather. Sixty-four per cent said “severe damaging weather events” are “becoming more frequent in the United States”

When asked about the level risk in the world, 27% of respondents said this year they believe the world is getting “much more risky”, down from 29% in 2013. More than a third (36%) said it is getting “somewhat more risky,” up from 34% in 2013, while 22% said it is “not changing either way,” up from 21% in 2013.

When asked about computer and technology risk, 27% of respondents said they “worry a great deal” about someone hacking into their bank or other financial accounts.

Participants were also asked whether they take certain measures to reduce risk. Sixty-four per cent of respondents said they store food, water and flashlights in case of a disaster (up from 57% in 2013), 39% said they have a home inspection in order to check for structural, electrical and physical risks, 52% have an evacuation plan for severe weather and 85% have a safety check done on their car at least once a year.

“The statistical margin of sampling error for the survey as a whole is +/- 3.5 percentage points, and higher for smaller subsets of the total sample,” Travelers stated. “Sampling error is just one form of error or bias that can affect survey results.”