More Americans Want Impaired Driving Countermeasures

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS) released a new report that shows that while risky driving behaviors remain widespread, Americans strongly support a range of impaired-driving countermeasures that could significantly reduce fatalities.   

Risky driving behaviors like distracted driving, speeding, or driving while impaired contribute to tens of thousands of traffic deaths each year. Federal officials estimate that more than 39,000 people were killed in U.S. traffic crashes in 2024, a slight decrease from the previous year but still a stark reminder of the persistent public health crisis on American roads.  

“Findings from the AAA Foundation survey give us a strong sense of what drivers see as risky, and what they want done about it,” said Dr. David Yang, President and Executive Director of the AAAFTS. “Those insights can help safety stakeholders and policymakers focus on effective solutions with broad public support.” 

The annual Traffic Safety Culture Index examines driver attitudes, self-reported behaviors, and support for evidence-based traffic safety policies. This year’s results highlight a clear pattern: even as some drivers continue to take dangerous risks, most Americans want stronger safeguards that prevent impaired driving, including advanced vehicle technologies and more protective legal standards.  

• 67% support requiring all new cars to include alcohol-impairment prevention technology.  

• 51% support lowering the legal BAC limit from 0.08 to 0.05.   

Still, the survey found a troubling number of drivers still choose to drive impaired.  

• 93% say driving after drinking is very or extremely dangerous, yet 7% say they did so in the past 30 days.  

• 70% say driving within an hour of using marijuana is very or extremely dangerous — and 6% reported doing so.  

  
  

“These findings show that the public is ready for stronger action,” said Gene Boehm, President and CEO of AAA, Inc. “People overwhelmingly want policies and technologies that prevent impaired driving, and those tools already exist. Implementing policies like the HALT Drunk Driving Law, alongside fair and effective enforcement, could save thousands of lives each year.”  The survey also found risky behavior persists in other areas:  

Distracted Driving  

• 97% say scrolling social media, 94% texting/emailing, and 90% reading on a hand-held phone are extremely or very dangerous — yet 28% texted, 37% read messages, and 36% talked on a hand-held phone while driving.  

• 79% support a hand-held phone ban; only 40% support limits on hands-free use.  

  
  

Aggressive Driving and Speeding  

• 90% view aggressive driving and 80% running red lights as extremely or very dangerous.  

• Fewer drivers saw speeding as dangerous compared to other risky behaviors.  

• 58% believe they’d be caught driving 15 mph over the limit, yet about half did so in the past month.  

• Only 46% support speed cameras on residential streets.