TREE - Nearly 3 in 4 Drivers Are Anxious About Driving in Winter Weather
Just less than half of Americans feel they've been fully educated about how to drive in bad weather according to a new ValuePenguin.com survey
PR Newswire
NEW YORK , Feb. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With brutal winter weather conditions impacting much of the country, 73% percent of drivers in America say they are anxious or afraid of driving in bad wintry weather such as snow, sleet or ice. A contributing factor to this fear and anxiety is a lack of preparation and awareness according to a new ValuePenguin.com by LendingTree survey .
Key Findings:
- 73% of drivers are anxious about driving in wintry weather, and 15% aren't confident at all. Wintry weather makes 84% of Gen Z drivers anxious — fewer millennials (74%), Gen Xers (71%) and baby boomers (69%) voiced their anxiety about driving in wintry weather.
- 80% of women said driving in winter conditions made them feel anxious, compared with 68% of men. Additionally, three times more women (23%) say they're not at all confident in their ability to drive when there is snow or ice on the road when compared to men (8%).
- Drivers in the South and Northeast are the most anxious about Winter Driving: 76% of those living in the snowy Northeast said they felt uneasy about winter driving. 75% of Southern drivers were anxious about driving in wintry weather, with 22% classifying themselves as completely unconfident.
- Many drivers lack preparation for driving in poor weather conditions . 57% of drivers haven't checked their tire tread depth in the past two months, 55% don't check their tire pressure at least monthly and 29% regularly let their gas tank drop below a quarter tank, with 6% saying they usually do not fill up until the tank is nearly empty.
- While more than half of all drivers have gotten stuck in the snow before , they aren't adequately prepared: While many drivers keep basics like a phone charger (58%), a set of jumper cables (54%), an ice scraper (54%) and a flashlight (51%) on hand, they're less likely keep essential items like a blanket (34%), snacks and water (29%), extra clothes (18%), a snow shovel (16%) or emergency flares (16%).
- 48% of drivers don't think they got a full education about how to drive in winter weather. 35% of drivers aren't completely sure what to do if their car starts to skid. 19% of drivers pull over and 8% call a loved one despite the danger that these actions can pose on slick roads where visibility is lower than usual.
- 1 in 3 drivers have been in a winter weather-related car accident . 38% of men experienced a winter-weather accident, compared with 27% of women. 43% of millennials admitted to being involved in crashes, the highest of any demographic. A quarter of all drivers also said their car was damaged by wintry weather unrelated to an accident.
According to ValuePenguin.com Insurance expert Andrew Hurst , "Unsafe driving over the winter can cost Americans, especially those who don't have sufficient auto insurance coverage. 69% of the drivers we surveyed said they had to pay out of pocket for repairs their insurer did not cover. 25% said they spent more than $1,000 on repairs." He adds, "Damage caused by winter-driving conditions is covered by the liability portion of a typical car insurance policy only when another car strikes your vehicle. If driving conditions cause a single-car crash or damage a vehicle without causing an accident, you would need comprehensive and collision coverage to cover the expenses."
To view the full report, visit: https://www.valuepenguin.com/winter-driving-fears
ValuePenguin commissioned Qualtrics to conduct an online survey of 1,124 licensed drivers, conducted Jan. 25-26, 2021 . The survey was administered using a non probability-based sample, and quotas were used to ensure the sample base represented the overall population. All responses were reviewed by researchers for quality control.
About ValuePenguin.com: . ValuePenguin.com and its parent company, LendingTree® (NASDAQ: TREE), have a common mission: to empower consumers with tools, information, and resources to help them make smarter, more informed financial decisions. For more information, please visit www.valuepenguin.com , like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter @ValuePenguin.
Additional Information: https://www.valuepenguin.com/health-insurance
Media Contact:
Divya Sangam (Ms.)
646 693 8445
Divya@lendingtreenews.com
SOURCE ValuePenguin.com
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