When it comes to bad driving habits, everyone has their vices. A recent study from U.S. News & World Report surveyed drivers about their behaviors on the road to discover the most common unsafe behaviors with which Americans struggle, as well as how their habits have changed due to both the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation. The most common bad habit those surveyed admitted to was road rage (64%), followed by speeding (51%), driving while they were too tired to do it safely (37%) and nearly falling asleep while driving (31%). Other behaviors respondents admitted they had participated in included not wearing their seatbelt (28%), driving with a pet in their lap (25%) and texting while driving (27%). The majority of these drivers tend to take ownership of their actions, U.S. News & World Report found, with 60% saying they take full responsibility for their bad driving habits. The remaining drivers said they were taught their bad behaviors by either friends or family members.

The impact of COVID-19 and inflation

According to an August 2022 report from AAA, the annual cost of vehicle ownership has surpassed $10,000, driven by the rising cost of things like fuel, vehicle parts and maintenance. This has led many drivers to seek out ways to cut costs. Almost half of the respondents told U.S. News & World Report they have cut the amount of time they spend driving compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-percent of drivers said they have tried to lower their auto insurance premiums since the beginning of the pandemic, 61% have started to limit their mileage due to high gas prices and 84% search for the cheapest gas prices in their area before filling their tanks. Many have attempted to score lower auto policy premiums to save money, but the survey also revealed that a lot of drivers are clueless about the factors that actually go into determining their rates. In the slideshow above, we'll look at eight of the most common misconceptions drivers in the U.S. have about auto insurance premiums according to the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Driver Habits Survey.

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Brittney Meredith-Miller

Brittney Meredith-Miller is assistant editor of PropertyCasualty360.com. She can be reached at [email protected].

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