honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, November 11, 2003

DRIVE TIME
Professionals top list of drivers likely to be in accidents

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer

Doctors, lawyers and real estate agents are among the most likely people to be involved in auto accidents. Farmers and firefighters are the least likely.

Those are the results from a new study of more than 1 million drivers nationwide.

The study, conducted by a corporation that helps insurance companies analyze risks, contradicts some of the most popular notions about driver behavior in America.

Who to avoid on the road (see full list below)

Workers considered accident prone:

Top five
1. Student
2. Medical doctor
3. Attorney
4. Architect
5. Real estate agent

Bottom five
36. Homemaker
37. Politician
38. Pilot
39. Fireman
40. Farmer

Most likely to get a speeding ticket?

Top five
1. Student
2. Enlisted military
3. Manual Laborer 4. Politician
5. Architect

Bottom five
36. Teacher/professor
37. Clerical/secretary
38. Law enforcement
39. Librarian
40. Homemaker

"The numbers blow some big holes in the conventional wisdom about which professionals are accident prone or dangerous drivers," said Daniel Finnegan, the president of Quality Planning Corp., which conducted the study. "Interestingly, it is educated professionals who are most likely to be involved in accidents."

The study looked at police statistics from across the country and sought to determine which of 40 professions were most likely to be involved in accidents or receive speeding tickets.

First the predictable news: Students are at the top of each category. Of course, every parent who ever saw a son or daughter get their first driver's license knows that. Or at least has worried that it might be true.

Students scored considerably higher than any other group, especially in accidents, not surprisingly given their lack of experience and low aversion to risk.

After you get beyond that fact, however, the numbers get sort of surprising. When you come to accidents, for instance, medical doctors, attorneys, architects and real estate agents round out the top five positions.

That might help explain the old saw that once you're involved in an accident there always seems to be a lawyer or doctor hanging around.

For speeding violations, though, it's a different group of people: enlisted military personnel, manual laborers, politicians and architects rank in places 2 through 5.

Beyond the inexperience of students, how do the experts explain the differences in professions?

The long work hours of doctors, especially in the training phase of their career, may contribute to the high accident rate, according to the American Medical Association.

And although it's far from proven, lots of cell phone use among doctors, lawyers and real estate agents may also be a factor.

Although the data could theoretically help insurance companies evaluate risks of insuring various kinds of works, they're barred from doing that in Hawai'i.

State law prohibits using criteria such as a person's age, gender, credit history, marital status and presumably occupation, in determining premiums.

Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.

• • •

Accidents and speeding violations by occupation per 1,000 drivers per year

OCCUPATION ACCIDENTS RANK SPEEDING VIOLATIONS RANK
STUDENT 152 1 87 1
MEDICAL DOCTOR 109 2 44 20
ATTORNEY 106 3 37 25
ARCHITECT 105 4 72 5
REAL ESTATE BROKER 102 5 39 24
ENLISTED MILITARY 99 6 78 2
SOCIAL WORKER 98 7 33 31
MANUAL LABORER 96 8 77 3
ANALYST 95 9 40 21
ENGINEER 94 10 51 12
CONSULTANT 94 11 50 14
SALES 93 12 51 11
MILITARY OFFICER 91 13 46 15
NURSE 90 14 31 35
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR 90 15 32 32
SKILLED LABORER 90 16 65 6
LIBRARIAN 90 17 24 39
CREATIVE ARTS 90 18 37 27
EXECUTIVE 89 19 51 13
INSURANCE AGENT 89 20 46 18
BANKING/FINANCE 89 21 46 17
CUSTOMER SERVICE 88 22 55 10
MANAGER 88 23 46 16
MEDICAL SUPPORT 87 24 35 30
COMPUTER RELATED 87 25 55 9
DENTIST 86 26 45 19
PHARMACIST 85 27 31 34
PROPRIETOR 84 28 37 26
TEACHER/PROFESSOR 84 29 30 36
ACCOUNTANT 84 30 40 22
LAW ENFORCEMENT 79 31 24 38
PHYSICAL THERAPIST 78 32 36 28
VETERINARIAN 78 33 39 23
CLERICAL/SECRETARY 77 34 27 37
CLERGYMAN 76 35 58 8
HOMEMAKER 76 36 21 40
POLITICIAN 76 37 76 4
PILOT 75 38 31 33
FIREMAN 67 39 35 29
FARMER 43 40 60 7

The numbers represent the accident and speeding violation rates by per 1,000 individuals per year.

For example, on the average, every 1,000 students have 152 accidents each year.

The estimates are based on over 1,000,000 drivers tracked over a 22 month period.

Accident and speeding violation data as reported by state departments of motor vehicles to insurance companies. Drivers from throughout the United States.

© Quality Planning Corporation 2003