Good Neighbor Stories

Surprisingly great adulting moments

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 13:38:05 -0600

Feeling “like a kid around the holidays” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be – just ask the two out of three millennials who actually prefer being grown-ups during the holidays instead.

Click to view the full infographic

A recent survey of 2,003 Americans between the ages 25-40 found that 67% enjoy the holiday memories they make as adults more than the ones they have from their childhood.

Even with more responsibility as an adult, three in four said they’re more motivated to do cooking and cleaning around the holidays, and seven in 10 even claimed to enjoy these activities.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of State Farm, 57% of those studied look forward to hosting their loved ones during the holiday, much more than they would have otherwise expected.

For many, there are some holiday activities they find surprisingly better as adults than when they were children, like wrapping holiday gifts (71%) or decorating their home (31%).

Results showed that cleaning up after holiday meals (30%) and watching movies or listening to holiday music (28%) are also activities that people are enjoying more in adulthood.

According to the survey respondents, other surprisingly great parts of adulthood are learning new things (50%), staying in on a Friday night (40%) and paying bills (32%). Six in 10 even agreed that purchasing big ticket items like a car is a fun experience.

Still, being an adult comes with some difficult responsibilities, as 77% agree that being an adult is harder than they thought it would be.

“The most surprising part of adulthood is how much the level of responsibility increases, and so quickly,” one respondent said. “I really took for granted so many things that my mom did for me without even thinking about it.”

Other concerns about adulthood varied from worrying about all of their bills to paying taxes or not being able to see loved ones often enough — which may contribute to why 59% enjoy connecting with their siblings and parents in adulthood more than they thought they would.

In fact, more than three in four respondents said they wouldn’t mind doing mundane tasks with a family member just to spend quality time together (78%).

“There are many aspects of adulthood that seem daunting until we finally accomplish them, like moving into your first apartment or buying a house,” says State Farm Public Affairs VP, Victor Terry. “These big adult activities, and even some of the less obvious ones like getting insurance, can be surprisingly satisfying – particularly when you have surprisingly great rates that fit your budget and an agent in your corner who understands your needs.”

Best parts of adulthood

Learning new things (50%)
Staying in on a Friday night (40%)
Repairing things around the house (39%)
Paying bills (33%)
Mowing the lawn (32%)

9 of 10 Drivers Used Their Smartphone Behind the Wheel in 2020

Fri, 07 May 2021 10:59:29 -0500

If the last year proved anything, it displayed our need and ability as a society to adapt our behaviors for the benefit of the greater good.

Imagine what would happen if we took the same approach and focused on our responsibility to each other while driving - safely and without additional distraction?

In August 2020, the State Farm® Enterprise Research Department conducted an online survey with adults ages 18 and older examining attitudes and behaviors around distracted driving. It revealed that we are still texting, speeding, reading, on social media, grooming, gaming and taking selfies while behind the wheel driving.

This survey, the ninth wave of a study first conducted in August 2009, found that nine out of 10 drivers (89%) said they engaged in at least one of the 14 distracted driving behaviors studied while behind the wheel.

More drivers reported participating in each behavior studied in 2020 than they did in 2010 or 2015, with the exception of talking on a hand-held phone (engagement has declined significantly since 2010 as more drivers are talking hands free).

Factors at Play

Smartphone ownership has increased steadily since 2011 moving from 53 percent of all respondents in 2011 to 95 percent in 2020. This increase has enabled more drivers to take part in smartphone-related distracted driving, like accessing the internet, which has more than doubled between 2010 and 2020.

Age greatly influenced the reported rate of distracted behaviors in 2020. Drivers under age 40 were significantly more likely than those age 40 and over to say they engaged in distracted phone and navigation behaviors. And while 56 percent believed manually interacting with a phone while driving greatly increases the likelihood of a crash – consumers continue to put themselves and everyone on the road at risk.

Younger drivers were significantly more likely to exhibit other risky behaviors while driving, including speeding, driving drowsy, failing to use turn signals, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

“So much has changed in our lives this past year,” State Farm Assistant Vice President - Enterprise Research Laurel K. Straub said. “We don't know what our ‘new normal’ might be, but we can start taking responsibility for the safety of ourselves and others by making positive choices when it comes to our driving behavior behind the wheel.”

Imagine if we all pledge to start today to keep our eyes on the road, our hands on the wheel and our minds on the road ahead, how much better protected we would be from exposure to reckless and potentially deadly driving distractions.

“Distracted driving behaviors and crashes are preventable,” Laurel said. “Let’s normalize that.”

Downloads

Distracted While Driving Report

Bar Graph Infographic

Distracted Driving Infographic

New Survey Says Parents Not Playing It Safe With Car Seats

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 08:00:00 -0500

One of the most dangerous places for a young child is a motor vehicle. Yet, a majority of parents are not practicing proper car seat safety, according to a recent survey by State Farm®.

State Farm conducted an online survey of parents to gauge car seat safety behavior and knowledge. One of the more eye-opening findings, less than half of parents (44 percent) surveyed kept their child rear-facing until two years of age or longer.

“In a crash, rear-facing seats better support the head, neck and spine of infants than forward-facing seats,” shared Chris Mullen, Director of the Technology Research Division at State Farm. “Correctly secured in their car seats, children are much more likely to avoid serious injuries.”

Also troubling, less than a quarter of parents took advantage of a free resource provided by Safe Kids Worldwide certified community-based experts. Only 23 percent of parents had a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) check their car seat installation and usage.

Michele Ice, an Atlanta-area firefighter, attended a car seat check nearly 18 years ago with her ten-month old, Brooke. The car seat tech found several installation mistakes. Weeks later, mother and daughter were in a car crash. Brooke Ice was unscathed thanks to the proper car seat installation. Michele Ice was left in a coma. After months of rehabilitation, she eventually recovered.

“It was embarrassing to find out that I had it installed all wrong. But those 45 minutes of the car seat check saved my daughter’s life,” Michele Ice said.

Two-thirds of parents (68 percent) did not anchor the top tether of the forward-facing car seat to the back of the vehicle seat. More men (39 percent) did anchor than women (25 percent).

“Without the top tether, in the event of a crash, the seat could move forward several inches, putting the child at greater risk of serious injuries,” Mullen stated.

Michele Ice is now a CPST Instructor herself and often sees other parents making common mistakes; especially not using the top tether for forward-facing seats.

“It can save a life! It's up to us as parents and caregivers to research, educate and protect our precious cargo in our motor vehicles,” shared Michele Ice.

Additional stats from the survey (full report):

Nearly a quarter of parents (23 percent) moved their child out of a booster seat because they felt the child was big enough.
- Only one-third of parents checked safety websites (e.g. Safe Kids, State Farm) to be certain it was time to move their child out of a booster seat.
Only 32 percent of parents removed bulky clothes like winter coats before buckling (24 percent men vs. 40 percent women).
- Bulky clothing will not allow the parent to get the harness tight enough.
Two out of three parents did not register their car seat with the manufacturer.
- Without registration, they would not receive notifications of recalls.
Less than half of parents knew car seats have expiration dates.
- Car seats, like many products, degrade over time and will no longer protect the child as intended.
Ten percent of parents bought or used a second-hand car seat. For parents under 35, the number was even higher. One in five younger parents used or bought a second-hand car seat.
- With a second-hand seat, you may not know the seat’s history (whether it has been in a crash, has expired or was registered).

Car seat safety has come a long way but there’s room to improve

In 1997, the number one killer of children up to four years old was motor vehicle crashes. In 2017, that is no longer the case. Child occupant (ages zero to four) deaths have been reduced by 15 percent. Motor vehicle crashes are still a leading cause, but no longer the leading cause.

A major reason for the improvement? Twenty years ago, State Farm joined forces with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia® (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania to create Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS).

State Farm and CHOP identified more than 600,000 crashes involving 875,000 children under age 16. It was the largest source of data ever collected on children involved in motor vehicles crashes.

“The data supported legislative measures that has saved thousands of children’s lives and reduced the severity of injuries for tens of thousands of children,” shared Dennis Durbin, AVP and Chief Clinical Research Officer at CHOP who was Co-Principal Investigator of PCPS. “It was a remarkable win for public health.”

“As we celebrate the 20^th anniversary of Partners for Child Passenger Safety, it’s important to look at the accomplishments. At State Farm, we are immensely proud of PCPS and its results. Children have been saved,” shared Mullen. “But during Child Passenger Safety Week and every other day of the year, we cannot lose sight of the fact that we can still do more for our children. Studies have found car seat misuse at 72 percent. This survey reflects that data and drives home the point - we need more car seat safety education and awareness.”

About the survey:

In August 2017, State Farm Strategic Resources Department conducted an online survey of U.S. consumers ages 18 and over. Survey responses were received from 193 parents (93 men and 100 women) who reported that they “have children under the age of 13." The full report is available.

Volunteering Can Be a Family Affair

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 07:11:00 -0500

In a new survey conducted by State Farm, parents say lack of time is one of the biggest barriers to volunteering. Knowing that spending time with family and friends often takes precedence, State Farm wants to help parents see they can easily do both.

The State Farm Volunteerism Survey sought to understand how and why U.S. residents volunteer and the role it plays in communities across the country. The data indicated people want to volunteer with people they know (77 percent) and close to home (33 percent for a neighbor and 21 percent in the local community).

Additionally, the survey revealed people still want to get involved - they just need a few suggestions to get started. With these key findings, State Farm wants to provide families with ideas that can be quick, easy, and include everyone.

Here are some tips to get families volunteering in their neighborhood:

Make it creative: Tap into your kids’ creativity by drawing pictures and writing cards to send to veterans.

Meet your elders: Grab a family board game and sign up to visit a nursing home or assisted living facility. Often residents look forward to sharing their stories and making new memories.

Make a healing meal: Through online services, it’s easier than ever to sign up to help a family or friend after illness, injury or even birth. Sign up to make dinner and ask your kids to help make the menu and meal.

Get active: Sign up to volunteer as a family for a charity walk or run, kids can hand out water or snacks and cheer on participants.

Invite others to the party: When planning birthday or block parties, ask for donations instead of a gift, to fill a care package and give to a local shelter or other person in need.

Go outside: Find a local park or beach that needs to be cleaned up. Kids can wear protective gloves to pick up trash and feel great about making an immediate difference.

Parents can find summer volunteer opportunities by searching NeighborhoodofGood.com related to all the tips above and more.

Download and share these tipsheets with full details:

State Farm Volunteerism Study: Ideas for Families

Volunteerism Research Data Highlights