ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As Americans
prepare for much-anticipated travel in the coming months, the
safety of transportation and roadways is a concern for most
travelers, according to a new survey facilitated by 3M (NYSE: MMM).
Nearly half—or 47 percent—of U.S. respondents plan to travel for
a vacation or trip within the next six months, and more than 3 out
of 4 plan to travel by car. At the same time, 53 percent are
concerned about the safety of transportation and roadways when
traveling outside their community.
The global statistics on road safety are startling, with traffic
collisions killing or injuring millions of people each
year. According to the World Health Organization, one
person around the world dies in a road collision every 24 seconds—a
tragedy totaling 1.3 million lives lost each year.
The 3M survey found that the
impact of traffic collisions is personal for many. Thirty-five
percent of U.S. respondents have a family member or close friend
who has died or been seriously injured in a car crash, and nearly
one-third of those incidents occurred throughout the pandemic. In
addition, 40 percent of 18–34-year-old U.S. respondents—more than
any other age group—reported having a close family member or friend
who was seriously injured or who died in a traffic collision, with
almost half of those incidents taking place over the last 18
months.
The third-party, independent research was commissioned by
3M in 11 countries to identify the
top concerns of adults relative to getting to and from home safely,
as well as their views on the current state of transportation
safety in their communities.
"The results of our global survey reaffirm that improving road
and transportation safety around the world must remain a top
priority, especially as the number of traffic collisions rises in
many countries," said Dan Chen,
President of 3M Transportation Safety
Division. "As many of us are making travel plans for the first time
in almost two years, our mission to help get families home safely
has never been more important."
The impact of the pandemic on transportation safety
The survey found that many Americans experienced
heightened concerns about transportation and roadway safety
since the start of the global pandemic. In fact, almost 4 out of 10
Americans say that they are as fearful and concerned about
transportation and road safety as they are about getting
COVID-19.
The survey revealed that 35 percent of American respondents
believe transportation has become more dangerous due to the
pandemic and over 4 out of 10 believe traffic fatalities have
increased in 2020. At the same time, 58 percent say they have been
driving more carefully since the pandemic started, indicating a
disconnect between how people evaluate their own driving and
others on the road.
In the U.S., traffic-related fatalities have dramatically
increased throughout the pandemic, with many calling this
disturbing trend a national crisis. New data from the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirms Americans'
perceptions, showing that the number of U.S. traffic deaths in the
first six months of 2021 hit 20,160 -- the highest first-half total
since 2006, and more than 18 percent higher than the first half of
2020.
Safety and visibility concerns
According to the survey, Americans are highly concerned about
the behaviors of other drivers, visibility issues and road
conditions. The top five concerns of the American respondents
include:
- Drivers texting or speaking on the phone while driving (83
percent)
- Negligence of other drivers (82 percent)
- Bad weather (77 percent)
- Night visibility (71 percent)
- Traffic congestion (68 percent)
Access to safe and reliable transportation
Across the U.S., people believe their communities should do more
to help people safely access a variety of transportation options.
Forty percent of U.S. respondents believe transportation access is
an issue in their community and over 7 out of 10 think their
community should do more to allow vehicles, bicycles, and
pedestrians to co-exist safely on the streets.
Today, 7 out of 10 American respondents report not having
reliable or safe access to bike lanes, and over half —or 58
percent—feel they do not have reliable and safe access to public
transportation.
Ranking high among transportation safety concerns, two-thirds of
U.S. parents are concerned about getting their children to and from
school safely. Forty-eight percent say their children are driven in
a car and 38 percent travel by school bus.
3M transportation safety
solutions
More than 80 years ago, 3M's Transportation Safety Division
invented reflective sheeting and installed the first
fully-reflective sign. Since then, 3M
has produced high-performance materials that improve reflectivity
and visibility across roads and highways, work zones, pedestrian
crossings, school zones, and more.
3M reflective sign sheeting, ink,
and overlays increase visibility and driver recognition of these
signals. Studies have found that where more-visible signs are
installed, crash numbers have fallen up to 46 percent within three
to six years1.
Pavement markings help guide drivers and keep roads safe, but in
dark and wet conditions, standard reflective pavement markings can
disappear. 3M reflective technology
makes road markings visible from longer distances and in wet
conditions.
In the U.S., 3M continues to
collaborate with local organizations and governments to address the
most pressing road safety issues across the country, helping to
reduce fatalities and injuries and make safer roadway systems a
reality.
3M is a current sponsor of
the Vision Zero Network, a national non-profit organization
working to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries and to
ensure safe, equitable mobility for all. This year, 3M also signed on to support the National Safety
Council's Call on President Biden to Commit to Zero Traffic
Deaths, a letter campaign urging the U.S. Administration to
prioritize safety and commit to the Vision Zero goal.
Learn more about 3M's Transportation Safety Division and the
company's efforts to help bring families home safely here, and view
the full global survey results here.
Survey Methodology
This poll was conducted by Morning Consult between
October 9, 2021, and October 26, 2021, among a sample of 22,000
adults in the following 11 countries: Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan,
Mexico, South Korea, United
Kingdom, United States. The
interviews were conducted online and the data were
weighted based on gender, age, and region. Results from the
full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage
points.
About 3M
At 3M, we apply science in
collaborative ways to improve lives daily as our employees connect
with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M's creative
solutions to global challenges at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or
@3MNews.
1 Ripley, D., Howard R. Green Company, ITE
AB04H313.
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