Pandemic speeding
According to the latest 2021 PEMCO Insurance Northwest Poll about two out of three drivers (65% in Seattle and 62% in Portland) claim their speeding habits didn’t change in response to the open roads ushered in by the pandemic. How about you? Did you have more of a lead foot when there were fewer cars on the roads?
When you drive your vehicle, how often (if at all) do you find yourself driving over the legal speed limit?
| Seattle Metro | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2016 | 2021 | |
| 13 | 24 | 15 | Often |
| 41 | 43 | 41 | Sometimes |
| 35 | 29 | 39 | Rarely |
| 9 | 4 | 5 | Never |
When you drive your vehicle, how often (if at all) do you find yourself driving over the legal speed limit?
| Portland Metro | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2016 | 2021 | |
| 14 | 26 | 13 | Often |
| 36 | 39 | 39 | Sometimes |
| 42 | 27 | 42 | Rarely |
| 7 | 8 | 6 | Never |
When you find yourself speeding, how many miles over the legal speed limit do you allow yourself to go before you slow down?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 324 | 322 | Ever speed |
| 36 | 32 | 1 to 4 miles |
| 48 | 52 | 5 to 9 miles |
| 12 | 11 | 10 to 14 miles |
| 2 | 3 | 15 miles or more |
When you find yourself speeding, how many miles over the legal speed limit do you allow yourself to go before you slow down?
| Seattle | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | Females | < 55 | 55+ | |
| 154 | 164 | 206 | 118 | Ever speed |
| 29 | 43 | 34 | 39 | 1 to 4 miles |
| 50 | 46 | 45 | 52 | 5 to 9 miles |
| 17 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 10 to 14 miles |
| 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 15 miles or more |
When you find yourself speeding, how many miles over the legal speed limit do you allow yourself to go before you slow down?
| Portland | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | Females | < 55 | 55+ | |
| 144 | 175 | 175 | 147 | Ever speed |
| 26 | 37 | 31 | 34 | 1 to 4 miles |
| 58 | 49 | 46 | 60 | 5 to 9 miles |
| 13 | 10 | 17 | 4 | 10 to 14 miles |
| 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 15 miles or more |
There are many reasons a person might speed when driving. Which one of these best describes why you find yourself speeding most often?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 324 | 322 | Ever speed |
| 70 | 72 | You’re traveling with the flow of traffic and everyone else is speeding |
| 19 | 15 | You’re traveling without paying moo much attention to the posted speed limit and find yourself going too fast |
| 7 | 5 | You choose to go faster |
| 1 | 3 | You think the odds are that you won’t get caught |
| 0 | 0 | If you do get caught, you can afford the consequence |
There are many reasons a person might speed when driving. Which one of these best describes why you find yourself speeding most often?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2021 | 2016 | 2021 | |
| 76 | 70 | 76 | 72 | You’re traveling with the flow of traffic and everyone else is speeding |
| 18 | 19 | 19 | 15 | You’re traveling without paying too much attention to the posted speed limit and find yourself going too fast |
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | You think the odds are that you won’t get caught |
| 2 | 7 | 1 | 5 | You choose to go faster |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | If you do get caught you can afford the consequences |
Do you personally believe that there is a “buffer speed” where even if you are clocked by a policy officer you won’t get pulled over?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 343 | 342 | Drivers |
| 57 | 58 | Yes |
| 25 | 20 | No |
| 18 | 22 | Don't know |
Do you personally believe that there is a “buffer speed” where even if you are clocked by a policy officer you won’t get pulled over?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2021 | 2016 | 2021 | |
| 67 | 57 | 59 | 58 | Yes |
| 20 | 25 | 20 | 20 | No |
| 13 | 18 | 22 | 22 | Don't know |
On the freeway, do you think that buffer speed is:
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 196 | 199 | Believe there is a buffer speed |
| 39 | 36 | 1 to 4 miles faster than the posted speed limit |
| 50 | 57 | 5 to 9 miles faster |
| 9 | 5 | 10 to 14 miles faster |
| 2 | 1 | 15 or more miles faster |
On the freeway, do you think that buffer speed is:
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| 33 | 47 | 37 | 35 | 1 to 4 miles faster than the posted speed limit |
| 51 | 48 | 60 | 54 | 5 to 9 miles faster |
| 13 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 to 14 miles faster |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 15 or more miles faster |
On the freeway, do you think that buffer speed is:
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2021 | 2016 | 2021 | |
| 39 | 39 | 34 | 36 | 1 to 4 miles faster than the posted speed limit |
| 54 | 50 | 54 | 57 | 5 to 9 miles faster |
| 7 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 10 or more miles faster |
Comparing the way you drive now to the way you drove before the pandemic, do you find that you speed:
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 342 | 340 | Drivers |
| 9 | 6 | More often now than you did before |
| 65 | 62 | About the same amount |
| 24 | 27 | Less now than before |
Comparing the way you drive now to the way you drove before the pandemic, do you find that you speed:
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| < 55 | 55+ | < 55 | 55+ | |
| 14 | 1 | 10 | 1 | More now than before |
| 61 | 72 | 58 | 67 | About the same amount |
| 24 | 23 | 26 | 28 | Less often now |
About the PEMCO Insurance Northwest Poll
PEMCO Mutual Insurance commissioned this independent survey, conducted by FBK Research of Seattle, that asked Washington and Oregon residents questions about driving habits and attitudes toward current Northwest issues. The sample size, 400 respondents in the Seattle Metro (King, Snohomish, Pierce Counties) region and 400 respondents in the Portland Metro (Multnomah, Marion, Clackamas, Washington Counties) region yields an accuracy of +/- 5.0% respectively at the 95% confidence level. In other words, if this study were conducted 100 times, in 95 instances the data will not vary by more than the associated error range.
About PEMCO Insurance
PEMCO Insurance is the Defender of Your Northwest, providing auto, home, renters and boat coverage. We are consistently recognized for outstanding service, employee expertise and social impact. Our Mutual Good programs raise the achievement levels for youth in education; build stronger, greener environments; and increase safety at home, on the road and at play. Our mission: Free our communities to worry less and live more.
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