The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS) has released its 2025 Traffic Safety Culture Index, which explores how drivers think about and engage with risk behind the wheel—examining perceptions and attitudes toward dangerous behaviors, self-reported behaviors, perceptions of safe driving, and how drivers assess their own behavior and abilities.

“Understanding the cultural context of driving, along with the personal factors that influence driving behavior, is essential for explaining why risky behaviors continue to contribute to tens of thousands of traffic fatalities each year,” said AAA Western and Central New York’s Director of Public Relations Elizabeth Carey.

The report found that most drivers perceive themselves more favorably than others. For example, 78% believed they drove more safely, 61% felt more skillful, and 60% believed they handled distractions better than others. Meanwhile 66% say others are more aggressive behind the wheel.

The findings show that some drivers continue to take risks when driving despite realizing the dangers.

Distracted Driving

• About 95% of drivers perceived scrolling through social media, 93% perceived texting or emailing, and 91% perceived reading on a hand-held phone as extremely or very dangerous. Despite these perceptions, 10% reported scrolling through social media, 28% reported sending a text or email, and 38% reported reading one while driving.
• Drivers predominantly agreed that people important to them would disapprove of distracted driving behaviors (85%–98% depending on the behavior).

Aggressive Driving and Speeding

• Most respondents perceived driving through a red light (78%) and aggressive driving (90%) as very or extremely dangerous.
• Fewer drivers perceived speeding as a dangerous activity. The speeding behaviors had the lowest perceived social disapproval of all the risky driving behaviors examined.

Drowsy Driving Behaviors

• Drivers predominantly perceived drowsy driving to be very or extremely dangerous (95%); however, 20% of drivers reported having engaged in the behavior in the past 30 days.

Impaired Driving Behaviors

• Drivers overwhelmingly perceived driving after drinking alcohol (93%) as very or extremely dangerous, and 63% believed such a driver would likely be apprehended by police. Only 7% of respondents reported having engaged in this behavior in the past 30 days.
• By comparison, only 71% of drivers felt driving (within an hour) after using marijuana to be very or extremely dangerous, and 26% believed such a driver would likely be apprehended by police. Only 6% of respondents reported having engaged in this behavior in the past 30 days.

For more information on survey methodology, please refer to the full Traffic Safety Culture Index report.