{"id":471955,"date":"2021-04-06T11:03:29","date_gmt":"2021-04-06T15:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/?p=471955"},"modified":"2021-04-06T11:03:29","modified_gmt":"2021-04-06T15:03:29","slug":"beware-of-the-zoom-zombie-54-of-americans-who-drive-after-video-chatting-report-trouble-concentrating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/beware-of-the-zoom-zombie-54-of-americans-who-drive-after-video-chatting-report-trouble-concentrating\/","title":{"rendered":"Beware of the Zoom Zombie: 54% of Americans Who Drive After Video Chatting Report Trouble Concentrating"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Beware of the Zoom Zombie: 54% of Americans Who Drive After Video Chatting Report Trouble Concentrating<\/b><\/p>\n

Study reveals that COVID-19 has compounded distracted driving behavior, with 64% of American drivers checking their phone while driving<\/i><\/p>\n

COLUMBUS, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE<\/a>)–
\nCOVID-19 is far from over, but the impact it has had on our collective driving capabilities continues to show itself in meaningful, sometimes surprising ways.\n<\/p>\n

\nAccording to a new analysis of over 6.1 billion miles driven by drivers who completed Root Insurance\u2019s (NASDAQ: ROOT) test drive, the average American driver used their phone once every 5.5 miles in 2020 (or 18 times every 100 miles).1<\/sup> Moreover, a national consumer survey of 1,819 American drivers shows that 54% of Americans who drive after video chatting report trouble concentrating. When work life became synonymous with home life, COVID-19 created new distractions and challenges for American drivers getting behind the wheel of a car.\n<\/p>\n

When the world went virtual<\/b><\/p>\n

\nA year ago, many of us who were suddenly cut off from friends and family began relying heavily on our mobile devices to stay connected.\n<\/p>\n

\nA majority of Americans (68%) report they more frequently use their phones to multitask, especially those identified as Gen Z (87%) and millennials (88%). That constant dependence on devices for connection extends to our cars. Of those Americans who drive with a mobile device, 62% say the sound of a call or text makes them want to check their phones. With 64% of American drivers checking their phone while driving, what does that mean for our roads?\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cCOVID-19 fundamentally changed the way we interact with our vehicles,\u201d says Root Insurance founder and CEO Alex Timm. \u201cAs many abruptly shifted to a virtual environment, Americans\u2019 reliance on technology dramatically increased along with their screen time, causing a majority of drivers to carry this distracted behavior into their vehicles.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\nIn all, nearly two-thirds of drivers (64%) report that they check their phones while driving. And the frequency with which they check their phones behind the wheel has continued to climb:\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2021<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\n2020\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\n2019\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Checks phone while driving<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

64%<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\n66%\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\n58%\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Checks within 30 min<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

53%<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\n42%\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\n36%\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Checks within 15 min<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

25%<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\n17%\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\n16%\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

\nMore alarming, many drivers are comfortable with this level of distraction. Nearly one-third (30%) of drivers believe they can be safe while using their mobile phone, up 6 percentage points from 2020 (24%).\n<\/p>\n

\nSo, what causes this disconnect with reality to make Americans feel they can drive safely while using their phones?\n<\/p>\n

2021: Can we stop our bad habits?<\/b><\/p>\n

\nWith vaccine rollouts steadily underway, Americans are ready to emerge from their homes and return to some semblance of normal life. But after a year of fending off COVID-19, many might forget or even ignore more commonplace threats such as distracted driving.\n<\/p>\n