Majority Of Motorists Admit To Distracted Driving Behavior On Daily Basis According To New Study

BOSTON, April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Northeast regional insurance group Plymouth Rock Assurance has released the results of a new study issued during Distracted Driving Awareness Month revealing nearly two-thirds of drivers polled engage in distracted driving behavior every day. Results also show:

• More than one-half of respondents have witnessed another driver texting with at least one adult passenger in the car.
• Nearly 40 percent have witnessed a driver texting with at least one child in the car.
• Between 70 percent and 87 percent, depending on the situation, did nothing after witnessing another driver engage in a distracted driving behavior.

These findings underscore Plymouth Rock's push for distracted driving awareness, which received a boost today as the company announced that it has officially established a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® title for the Most Pledges to a Safety Campaign.

"As a company dedicated to keeping our drivers safe on the road, the results of this study are enough to keep us up at night," stated Gerry Wilson, President and CEO of Plymouth Rock in New Jersey. "However, hope is certainly not lost - the study also revealed that over the last year, the number of drivers polled in New Jersey who park safely before texting has doubled. To us, this trend means we are on the right track toward a cultural shift in driving behavior, not unlike the adoption of seat belts or awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving. We know change is possible, and we intend on doing everything we can to continue to raise awareness about distracted driving."

Driven by a commitment to "More Than Just Insurance," Plymouth Rock Assurance is leading the charge against distracted driving. Recognizing the need to make a greater impact in the fight against this dangerous epidemic, the company launched a campaign eight months ago with the goal of setting a quantifiable milestone worthy of an official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® title for the Most Pledges to a Safety Campaign. Since then, tens of thousands of drivers have joined the fight through community events, social media, on-campus functions, initiatives at local high schools, outreach by insurance agents, and participation in charitable associations. The more than 32,000 signatures to Plymouth Rock's Pledge Against Distracted Driving exceeds the world record requirement of 25,000.

"It's a significant milestone for Plymouth Rock to have set the Guinness World Records title, but the numbers from our most recent study don't lie - there's still a lot of work to be done," said Chris Olie, President and CEO of Plymouth Rock in New England. "We're grateful to everyone who pledged along with us to fight against distracted driving. Each one of those individuals made an important commitment to safe driving, and we plan to use that support and momentum to continue the fight and keep this important public safety initiative in the forefront."

Plymouth Rock urges all drivers to make their mark this Distracted Driving Awareness Month by signing the Pledge Against Distracted Driving. The Pledge is a commitment to refrain from cell phone usage or any other form of distracted driving and always stay focused on the road. Drivers who wish to join the fight can do so by visiting FightDistractedDriving.com.

Methodology
This survey consisted of 3,300 consumers with valid driver's licenses who operate a vehicle at least once per week living in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The survey included questions to identify awareness, sensitivity, behavior, and attitudes inclusive of distracted driving associated with mobile technology and those not commonly considered as detrimental to road safety. Behaviors such as tuning the car radio, conversing with other passengers, personal grooming, eating and drinking, and programming a GPS were also studied. The study had a 95 percent confidence interval and +/- 2 percent margin of error. The survey was conducted with Customer Care Measurement & Consulting (CCMC), a market research consultant firm located in Alexandria, VA. CCMC's customer satisfaction and loyalty surveys, and analytics, are used by leading Fortune 500 companies from every industry to get a better ROI for their investments in the customer experience. Learn more about CCMC by visiting www.customercaremc.com.

About Plymouth Rock Assurance
Plymouth Rock Assurance is a marketing name used by a group of separate companies that write and manage property and casualty insurance in multiple states. Each company is financially responsible only for its own insurance products. Actual coverage is subject to the language of the policies as issued by each company. For more information about Plymouth Rock Assurance, visit PlymouthRock.com.

Full study tables/methodology are available upon request.

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SOURCE Plymouth Rock Assurance