Adults Worse Than Teens ~ Texting and Driving

I read an interesting article in USA TODAY about texting and driving.  According to this article it’s not the teens we need to worry about, it’s the adults that are texting while driving. What’s even worse is that they knowingly admit that it’s wrong.

AT&T conducted a survey of 1,011 adult drivers, and almost half admitted to texting while driving.  While 98% of them admit to knowing that it’s wrong but are still doing it.  43% of teens admitted to texting while driving. Six in 10 adults say they weren’t doing it three years ago.

Not only is this number incredibly high, but has gone up significantly since three years ago.

This survey follows an extensive national campaign against distracted driving: 39 states and the District of Columbia have all banned texting while driving for all drivers, and an additional five states prohibit the practice for new drivers, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Each day, an average of more than nine people are killed and more than 1,060 injured in crashes caused by distracted driving, according to the CDC. In 2011, 3,331 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver, up from 3,267 in 2010, according to the Department of Transportation.

According to the USA TODAY article, the government doesn’t specifically track texting-related crashes. But texting while driving is considered the most dangerous form of distraction because it involves the eyes, the hands and the mind.

As a personal injury attorney, I see all too often the devastating affects distracted driving and specifically texting while driving can have on lives.  We, as adults and role models, need to set examples for the young drivers out there.

Be Safe, Buckle Up and Don’t Text and Drive!

God Bless

RESOURCE: USA TODAY, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/28/adults-worse-than-teens-about-texting-behind-wheel/2026331/