A new survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows Americans broadly support stronger measures to curb impaired driving, even as risky behaviors such as distracted driving, speeding and driving while impaired remain common on U.S. roads.
The annual Traffic Safety Culture Index found that while federal officials estimate more than 39,000 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2024 — a slight decline from the year before — the toll remains a major public health concern.
“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 AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “Those insights can help safety stakeholders and policymakers focus on effective solutions with broad public support.”
The survey indicates strong backing for impaired-driving countermeasures. About 67% of respondents support requiring all new vehicles to include alcohol-impairment prevention technology, and 51% favor lowering the legal blood alcohol concentration limit from 0.08 to 0.05.
At the same time, the data show a gap between attitudes and behavior. While 93% of drivers said driving after drinking is very or extremely dangerous, 7% reported doing so within the previous 30 days. Seventy percent said driving within an hour of using marijuana is very or extremely dangerous, yet 6% said they had driven after using marijuana during that same period.
“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.”
December is Impaired Driving Prevention Month, and AAA is partnering with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Waymo to encourage drivers to plan sober rides during holiday celebrations.
The survey also highlighted continued concerns beyond impaired driving. Nearly all respondents said activities such as scrolling social media, texting or emailing, and reading on a hand-held phone while driving are very or extremely dangerous, yet more than a quarter admitted to texting while driving in the past month. Seventy-nine percent support banning hand-held phone use while driving, though fewer favor limits on hands-free use.
Aggressive driving and running red lights were widely viewed as dangerous, but fewer respondents perceived speeding as a serious risk. While 58% believed they would be caught driving 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, about half said they had done so in the previous month. Support for speed cameras on residential streets stood at 46%.
AAA officials said the findings underscore both persistent risky behavior and growing public appetite for policies and technologies aimed at reducing traffic deaths.
