Lawyers, Barbers and Bartenders: Nation’s Worst Drivers

If you have a lawyer, don’t call him on his cell phone while he’s driving. Lawyers, according to a recent Insurance.com study, are among the worst drivers in the country. It may be due to the fact that lawyers often work long hours and take their work home with them, so being distracted by work or talking on the phone while driving may cause more in the legal profession to be involved in car accidents than others.

Dog groomers may have different distractions than lawyers. Because they often drive with pets in the car, they may be distracted by movements or noises an animal is making, and may be less able to properly focus their attention on the road.

Other professions that include a high level of multitasking and distraction that can affect driving include:

• Bartenders
• Waitresses
• Barbers
• Judges
• Government workers

This certainly doesn’t mean everyone in these professions is a bad driver. This information is from a study on the Insurance.com website and was taken from people getting car insurance quotes online, where they are required to input their number of accidents. These professions ranked highest in terms of who was most accident prone.

Likely, the people with the professions on this list are seeing higher rates for car insurance. While auto insurance rates are not based on professions, the higher instance of accidents among these professionals means that as a whole, more of these drivers will pay higher premiums than others.

And On the Other Side of the Fence…
There was silver lining to the Insurance.com report. Athletes and homemakers were ranked among the best drivers in the country.

Athletes, who don’t do the 9 to 5 thing, are on the road in off-peak hours, which reduces their chance of a wreck during rush hour. Having more focus and drive, and being a part of a team, athletes may take more care while driving than the average driver.

Women who stay home and/or raise children are used to multitasking, and apparently are doing it well enough to avoid accidents. The distraction of children becomes the norm, and moms are able to tune them out to focus on the road. Also, driving with kids as precious cargo makes a parent more likely to drive safely and not take risks on the road.

The benefit to being a safe driver is paying less for a car insurance policy. Since insurers look at your driving history, if you are an athlete, a homemaker, or anyone else with a squeaky clean driving record, you may be able to save significantly on your auto insurance policy.

Prove Them Wrong
If you are a lawyer, a bartender or a dog groomer, change the statistics by driving safer. Turn off your phone while driving (many states now have laws banning cell phone use while driving, so get into that habit now), and focus on the task at hand, not your deposition or your work day.

Pay attention to cars around you and always be ready to be proactive to avoid a potential car accident.