HARTFORD, Conn. — A troubling trend on the roads is an increase in dangerous driving habits.
"Even during the pandemic, there was an increase in speeding, reckless driving, and fatalities. And now that more people are on the roads, they're still continuing to do those behaviors," said Sgt. Christina Jeltema with the Connecticut State Police.
According to a new report from the AAA Foundation for traffic safety, there's been a rise in several unsafe behaviors. AAA surveyed a group of people about their driving habits.
From 2020 to 2021 there was a nearly 24% increase in people who said they got behind the wheel despite drinking enough to think they were over the legal limit. A 12% increase in those who said they drove 15 miles per hour over the speed limit and a nearly 7% increase in those who admitted to texting or checking an email while driving.
"Distracted driving has been really huge amongst some of the stuff that we're seeing out there. Whether people are on social media, filming Snapchat, TikTok, or watching Netflix it's something that we've seen," Jeltema said.
State police warn that these behaviors can have serious consequences. It's been a deadly year on Connecticut roads. According to the Connecticut Crash Data Repository, there have been 354 traffic deaths this year. There were 304 was in 2021.
Drivers said they've taken notice of the concerning uptick in dangerous habits.
"Every time I'm on 84, Route. 8., 91, I'm passing a crash every time I go out. It's ridiculous. Everyone is playing on their phone, not paying attention to anything. And they just don't know how to drive," said Ryan Leidy of Southington.
Troopers ask drivers to be responsible.
"Being mindful of everything around you, the speed limit signs, because they're there for a reason. They're there to keep you safe and allow you to go home to your families," Jeltema said.
Gaby Molina is a reporter and anchor at FOX61 News. She can be reached at gmolina@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.