Millennials are the worst drivers, according to US study

Millennials are the worst drivers, according to a recent generational analysis by car accident attorneys in the US.

Friend, Levinson & Turner found that people between the ages of 25 and 34 accounted for the most car accidents, the most fatal car accidents and the second-highest percentage of distracted drivers.

The research team evaluated age groups on a number of factors based on data from the US's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including the number of car crashes, the number of fatal car crashes, the prevalence of dangerous driving behaviours, speeding drivers in fatal crashes and blood alcohol content of drivers in fatal crashes.

The data showed that millennials tend to be worse drivers than their younger and older counterparts in the US. The second worst drivers according to age group are people between the ages of 35 and 44, responsible for the second most alcohol-related speeding crashes.

The newest generation, Gen Zers (aged 16 to 24), appear to drive safer than several other age groups, the study found.

Gen Zers averaged 44 car accidents per 100,000 drivers, correlating to only a 6% chance of a car accident — the second lowest percentage of car accidents when compared to all age groups. Gen Zers boasted the fewest fatal car accidents, despite being easily distracted and likely to speed.

The research identified Baby Boomers (aged 63 to 72) as the best drivers, averaging just 14 accidents per 100,000 drivers and accounting for the fewest instances of distracted driving, which claimed the lives of about 3,522 people in 2021 alone, according to NHTSA.

The study found that the percentage of accidents involving speeding drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 while under the influence of alcohol is one of the lowest at 20%. Once drivers reach the drinking age, there’s an immediate increase to 40%.