Poll: Teen Drivers Know Texting Is Dangerous; Do It Anyway

A new poll released this week shows that nearly all teenage drivers know that texting and driving is dangerous, but nearly half admit to texting while driving.

This survey (conducted for AT&T) is the second poll in the last week showing that teen drivers continue to text while driving, even though they know it is dangerous. Consumer Reports released a survey last week showing 80% of teen drivers knew the risk of texting while driving, but nearly 1/3 engaged in the conduct anyway.

In AT&T's survey, 97% of teen drivers said texting while driving was dangerous.

It is dangerous. In fact, it's even more dangerous than drinking and driving.

• Drivers are 2 times more likely to cause a crash if texting than if drinking
• Texting drivers need 6 times as much distance to stop as a drunk driver
• Texting drivers gaze at their mobile devices for an average of 5 seconds – more than 440 feet at highway speed

Perhaps young drivers' sense of invincibility cause them to ignore what they know about the dangers. They think, "it can't happen to me."

But distracted driving accidents can happen to you or a loved one. CNN reported that in 2009, more than half-a-million people were involved in distracted driving crashes and nearly 5,500 people were killed.

To combat the distracted driving problem a group of more than 750 trial attorneys from the country have volunteered to speak at schools in all 50 states to spread the word about distracted driving dangers to young drivers. The group has set a goal of speaking to more than 100,000 students in one week during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month (April 2012).

Please don't put yourself and others at risk.

• More at 60ForSafety
• More at End Distracted Driving
• More at the Casey Feldman Foundation
• More on Distracted Driving

Read More:

• Despite dangers, U.S. teens still text and drive: poll [Chris Michaud at Reuters]
• Teens Know Texting and Driving Is Dangerous, Yet Do It Anyway, AT&T Survey Reveals [Rene Wisely at Edmunds Inside Line]
• Eight In 10 Young Drivers Admit Texting, Driving: Survey [Suzanne Kane at The Car Connection]
• Texting-while-driving: Teens do because we do [Janice D'Arc at Washington Post On Parenting]

(c) Copyright 2012 Brett A. Emison

Follow @BrettEmison on Twitter.