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Survey Finds: When It Comes to Bad Driving, 'It's Always the Other Guy'

HARTFORD, Conn., June 25 -- Most adults consider themselves careful drivers, but not others on the road, reports a national survey from The Hartford Financial Services Group , a leading insurance and investment company.

The survey found that 88 percent of adults give themselves high marks for careful driving, but only 17 percent consider other motorists equally as cautious. The study surveyed more than 1,000 registered drivers, aged 18 or older, across the country.

Nearly as many men as women (87 percent and 90 percent, respectively) say they are responsible drivers, with older drivers considering themselves the most careful, and younger ones, the least.

"People tend to minimize or overlook the risks they take while driving, but they always notice the risks other drivers take," said George Thacker, vice president of personal lines insurance at The Hartford. "When they see another driver take a risk, they tend to focus on it because they know it threatens their safety or someone else's."

The survey found that responsible driving does, in fact, protect drivers and their passengers.

"Careful drivers are three times less likely to have been in an accident or to have received a ticket," said Thacker. "And if they were in an accident, they were almost twice as likely not to have been at fault. So it isn't just rhetoric. This shows that careful driving really does pay off in increased safety which saves aggravation and money."

The good news - both careful and risky drivers agree on the value of some safe driving practices. More than 90 percent of both groups say no one should pass in a no passing zone, and a similar number say it's equally important to stop when a school bus has stopped and its lights are flashing.

"The bad news is that both careful and risky drivers also find it acceptable to exceed the speed limit on highways and local roads," said Thacker. "They just differ by how much."

Careful drivers say exceeding the speed limit by five miles per hour on the highway and 3.5 mph on local roads is okay. This compares to more than 8 mph on the highway and nearly 5 mph more on local roads cited by those less careful.

When it comes to other rules of the road, careful drivers are much more serious about safety than their less careful counterparts. For example, nearly eight out of ten who rate themselves as very careful drivers think it's extremely important to use turn signals to change lanes, versus one of three for those who are least careful.

Very careful drivers also think it's important to avoid passing other vehicles on the right, to use turn signals, to come to a complete stop at stop signs and to reduce speed on wet roads. In addition, nearly 90 percent of the most careful drivers say it is extremely important to slow down to the posted speed during school hours, while only 60 percent of the least careful feel the same.

"More than 90 percent of less careful drivers are frequently engaged in some kind of distracting behavior - such as eating or talking on a cell phone - and that can lead to more near-misses and accidents," said Thacker.

Thacker advises everyone to increase their own safety and the safety of others this summer by changing their thinking and paying more attention to their driving.

"Our survey shows that people who think safe driving is important actually are better drivers, and that protects everyone on the road," said Thacker.

The nationally representative survey, which was conducted by Opinionsite, an independent research company, has a +/- 3 percent margin of error.

Part of safe driving is keeping your car in good repair. The Hartford suggests motorists periodically do the following:

  -- Check tire pressure to ensure tires are inflated to the specifications
     of the tire manufacture.
  -- Check brakes and lights to be sure they are working properly.
  -- Check fluid levels and conditions of belts.
  -- If you have a roadside assistance service, be sure to keep the
     emergency phone number handy inside and outside the car.
  -- Keep an emergency kit in your car with flashlight, blanket, first aid
     kit, spare bulbs and fluids, reflective triangles, etc.
  -- Secure large or heavy items in your vehicle so they can't fly around in
     case of a quick stop or accident.

The Hartford is one of the nation's largest investment and insurance companies, with 2002 revenues of $16.4 billion. The company is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance.

The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.

Some of the statements in this release should be considered forward- looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

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