Texting While Driving: Teens Aren’t The Problem
What’s the Latest Development?
Data compiled from AT&T surveys of teen and adult drivers show that almost half of the adults admitted to texting while driving, compared to 43 percent of teens, and that a whopping 98 percent of the adult texters knew that what they were doing was unsafe. In addition, 60 percent of adults who text while driving say that they weren’t doing so three years ago, which demonstrates how fast the practice has grown. AT&T conducted the surveys as part of its It Can Wait campaign, which is designed to discourage distracted driving.
What’s the Big Idea?
The results follow those from a study released earlier this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that showed that 31 percent of American drivers texted or used e-mail while behind the wheel. It’s even more sobering when the numbers of drivers are examined, says John Ulczycki of the National Safety Council: “Teens text. But you’re looking at around 10 million teen drivers, but about 180 million other adult drivers.” The CDC reports that on average, nine people are killed and over 1,060 people are injured in crashes related to distracted driving.
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