Speeding Drivers Take More Risks on the Roads

Posted on: September 11, 2024 in Public Involvement, Safety, Transportation News

New survey report reveals public opinions on safety, technology, transportation challenges, funding, and more.

MetroPlan Orlando’s survey of 3,134 Central Floridians found that safety is a top concern, even though many admit to engaging in unsafe behavior.

For instance, nearly half of respondents to the 2024 Regional Transportation Survey report habitually driving 10 mph over the speed limit or faster, despite most acknowledging that speeding and safety are related.

Speeding drivers are more likely to say it’s OK to speed when the roads are clear and that it’s OK to text and drive. When it comes to distracted driving, 14% of respondents feel it is OK to text and drive.

“We’re seeing a dangerous mix of behaviors that can lead to deadly experiences for everyone on the road, including drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists,” said Dr. Sara Strickhouser from Summit Survey Research, who served as principal researcher on the survey.

A majority of survey respondents said they worry about dangerous behavior on the roads, and nearly a third indicated they don’t feel their community is safe for pedestrians or cyclists.

“Safety is the number 1 issue for our organization,” said MetroPlan Orlando Executive Director Gary Huttmann. “We’ve increased the focus on safety in all our planning work and outreach during the past year. We don’t want anyone to die or get seriously injured on the transportation system, and this research shows there is still a lot of work to do.”

Additional Findings

Other highlights from the survey report include:

• Lack of Reliable Transportation Negatively Impacts Health – A seven-point increase in the number of respondents who skipped or missed a doctor’s appointment in the past year because they did not have reliable transportation.
• Public Interest in Driverless Cars & Concerns on Safety — Interest in new technology continues to increase, but safety concerns about fully automated vehicles persist as well.
• Support for Public Transportation & Desire for More — Over half of respondents use some type of public transportation, and say they would use transit more if there were more destinations and improved connectivity.

Read the 2024 Regional Transportation Survey Report

For more details on these findings, visit the research page and browse the 2024 Regional Transportation Survey Report. Responses were gathered during April and May 2024 from residents of Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, using a mix of in-person and online surveying methods.

The survey results were presented to the MetroPlan Orlando Board and committees. Click here to view the Sept. 11 board presentation on our YouTube channel.

If you have questions about our 2024 transportation survey results, please contact Cynthia Lambert, MetroPlan Orlando public information manager, at Cynthia.Lambert@MetroPlanOrlando.gov.