Report · Health

Americans call distracted driving the biggest risk on local roads

Reading

Distracted driving worries Americans more than any other behavior behind the wheel: nearly four-in-ten (39%) call it the biggest risk to safety on their local roads, according to a November 2024 Verasight survey.

Aggressive driving (20%) and driving under the influence of alcohol (18%) rank next, with speeding cited by 12%. Fewer point to impairment from other substances (7%), cannabis (3%), or a lack of occupational protection like skipping a seatbelt (1%).

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

Americans call distracted driving the biggest risk on local roads.

In your opinion, which of the following driving behaviors is the biggest risk to safety on your local roads?

  • Distracted driving 38.8%
  • Aggressive driving 20.1%
  • Driving under the influence of alcohol 17.8%
  • Speeding 12.4%
  • Driving under the influence of substances other than alcohol or cannabis 7.2%
  • Driving under the influence of cannabis 2.5%
  • Lack of occupational protection (example: not wearing a seatbelt, not wearing a helmet, etc.) 1.2%

2024 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.4%

B

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2024-11-19 → 2024-11-22
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.4%
Module
B

Source

Citation

Verasight APHA Omnibus Survey #2024-122, fielded November 19-22, 2024, N=1,000 United States adults, +/- 3.4%.

https://verasight-apha-2024.tiiny.co

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.