Drivers know what safe driving looks like. So why do risky habits persist?

Key takeaways

Nearly everyone thinks they’re a good driver.

While 85% of drivers rate themselves safer than average, 82% report at least one potentially unsafe driving behavior in the past three months.

Drivers are more likely to minimize the behaviors they engage in themselves. 


Only 36% of drivers who report speeding say it makes driving moderately or much less safe, compared with 69% of drivers who do not report speeding.

Knowing the risk does not eliminate the temptation.

Nine in 10 drivers recognize the danger of touching a smartphone behind the wheel, yet calls, navigation, and even changing music continue to pull their attention away.

Drivers see potential in greater visibility.

83% of drivers say a driving score could help identify behaviors they may not notice on their own, even though only 27% say they know what driving scores are.

Introduction

Most drivers know what safe driving looks like. Following that standard every time they get behind the wheel is harder.

In Arity’s August 2026 survey of 1,000 U.S. drivers, 85% said they consider themselves safer than average. Yet 82% reported engaging in at least one potentially unsafe driving behavior in the past three months. Six in 10 (60%) reported at least two potentially unsafe behaviors, and 36% reported three or more.

That does not necessarily mean drivers are being dishonest about their abilities. It shows how easy it is to judge risk differently when we are the ones behind the wheel. Speeding can feel controlled. A yellow light can feel like a judgment call. A quick glance at a navigation alert can feel necessary.

The result is a gap between knowing what is risky and recognizing how often those moments may become patterns. Arity’s survey explores where that gap appears, what can prompt drivers to engage in behaviors they already consider unsafe and why greater visibility into driving patterns may be valuable.

The risky behavior that feels different when you’re the driver

Drivers who consider themselves safer than average report many of the same driving habits as those who see themselves as average drivers.

• Among drivers who rate themselves much or somewhat safer than average, more than eight in 10 (81%) still report at least one potentially unsafe driving behavior. That’s nearly identical to the 84% of drivers who rate themselves about average and say the same.
• The two groups also report similar rates of speeding (63% vs. 65%) and accelerating through a yellow light (50% vs. 54%).
• Tired driving is a clear dividing line. Only a third of drivers (32%) who consider themselves safer than average report driving tired, compared with 42% of those who rate themselves about average.

The findings suggest that drivers may view risk differently when evaluating their own behavior. Someone who speeds or accelerates through a yellow light may perceive the behavior differently when it feels deliberate or controlled.

But feeling alert or in control does not necessarily make a potentially unsafe behavior less risky.

Potentially unsafe driving behaviors reported in the past three months

• 64% drove more than 5 mph over the stated speed limit
• 51% accelerated through a yellow light
• 33% drove while feeling tired
• 21% changed lanes without signaling
• 15% rolled through a stop sign
• 11% followed another vehicle too closely
• 9% hit the brakes hard with no warning
• 4% drove after drinking alcohol or using drugs

Another 18% reported none of the above.

Percentages do not total 100% because respondents could select all that apply.

How drivers judge the safety of those same behaviors adds another layer to the story.

Knowing better does not always mean driving differently

Many drivers recognize that these behaviors increase risk, but awareness alone does not always change what they do on the road.

Sixty-five percent (65%) say accelerating through a yellow light makes driving at least moderately less safe, yet 51% have done it in the past three months. Eighty-five percent (85%) say the same about driving while feeling tired, but 33% still report doing so.

In other words, drivers can recognize that a behavior carries risk and still engage in it. The data also suggests that how drivers assess certain behaviors can vary depending on their own driving habits.

• Among drivers who report speeding more than 5 mph over the limit, just 36% say that behavior makes driving at least moderately less safe. That compares with 69% of drivers who do not report speeding.
• Changing lanes without signaling follows a similar pattern. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of those who report doing it say the behavior makes driving at least moderately less safe, compared with 83% of drivers who do not.

The findings suggest that awareness alone does not always align with self-reported behavior. They also point to the potential value of giving drivers more information about how everyday choices may form patterns over time.

The distraction may be ordinary. The risk is still real

The distraction drivers experience most frequently may not be the one that receives the most attention.

Nine in 10 drivers (90%) say looking at or touching a smartphone makes driving moderately or much less safe. Still, a variety of everyday triggers can prompt drivers to interact with their phones while driving.

Among smartphone owners, 68% say receiving a call or message from family or friends has caused them to look at or touch their phone while driving in the past three months. More than half (57%) say the same about a navigation notification.

Another 51% say deciding to make a call or send a message has prompted them to do so at least once in the past three months. And nearly one-third (31%) say changing music, a podcast, or other audio prompts them to interact with their phone at least a few times a week.

These findings show why distracted driving is not simply a knowledge problem. The behaviors most likely to pull attention away from the road are often routine, familiar, and easy to dismiss in the moment.

One moment does not define a driver. Patterns tell the fuller story

A single speeding event, rushed yellow light, or glance at a navigation alert does not tell the full story of how someone drives. Looking at driving behavior over time can provide a broader view of patterns that may be difficult for drivers to recognize on their own.

That is the intended role of tools like driving scores. By using driving information collected over time, a driving score can provide educational information about certain driving behaviors and offer another way for consumers to view their driving patterns.

The survey suggests many drivers are open to learning more about their driving.

• Many drivers say they think about improving their driving. Thirty-four percent (34%) regularly look for ways to improve their driving, while another 39% think about it occasionally. Far fewer say they rarely think about improving their driving (15%), think about it only after something goes wrong (12%), or think about it only when they need to shop for auto insurance (1%).
• Most respondents believe drivers can improve certain habits over time. Eighty-eight percent (88%) say drivers have at least a moderate ability to improve habits such as speeding or hard braking over time, including 56% who believe drivers have a great deal of ability to improve.
• Eighty-three percent (83%) say a driving score would be at least somewhat helpful in identifying patterns in their driving that they might not notice themselves. More than half (56%) say it would be very or extremely helpful.

Familiarity with driving scores still has room to grow. Just 27% of drivers say they have heard of driving scores and know what they are. Another 46% have heard the term but aren’t sure what it means, while 28% have never heard of driving scores.

That points to an opportunity to help more drivers understand what driving scores measure, what information they provide, and how driving behavior data may offer greater visibility into certain driving patterns.

Helping people better understand driving behavior with Arity

Most drivers already recognize that safer driving matters. The survey findings suggest that greater visibility into everyday driving patterns may give consumers information they do not currently have.

Respondents believe improvement is possible, and 83% say a driving score could be helpful in identifying patterns they may not notice on their own.

The opportunity is not to label people as good or bad drivers. It is to make educational information about driving behavior more accessible, giving consumers another way to view and better understand their driving patterns.

Contact Arity to learn how driving behavior insights can help your business create experiences that give consumers greater visibility into their driving.

About the survey

Arity survey results reflect self-reported survey responses and consumer opinions and may not be representative of all drivers. References to driving scores, savings, pricing, driving improvement or safety outcomes reflect survey responses and do not guarantee individual results. Actual results vary.