In a recent study by Phang and Bruhn (Journal of Food Protection, 2011) only 4% of volunteers used a meat thermometer for checking burger doneness; only 13% knew the recommended internal temperature for ground beef; and the average hand-washing time for the volunteers was 8 seconds.
Likewise, according to the 2011 International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation Food and Health Survey, “although 8 in 10 Americans report following general and basic safe food handling practices, the numbers continue to decline, for example with washing hands with soap and water before handling food (79% in 2011; 89% in 2010; 92% in 2008).”