Distracted driving is new worry for drivers. The belief is that teen drivers are the ultimate distracted drivers, but new studies are showing exactly the opposite. Between texting, phone calls and having the internet, adults are really the most distracted drivers on the road. What is the real risk?
Resource for this article: Realities of distracted driving – Drunk doesn’t start to cover it by Car Deal Expert
Who is it that really drives distracted?
A recent poll from the Pew Internet and American Life Project shows that adults usually tend to be the most distracted drivers; 47 percent of adults say that they have sent text messages while driving. A full 75 percent of adults use their cell phones when they’re driving, while only 52 percent of 16 and 17-year-olds do. On top of that, more than 40 percent of individuals say they have been in a automobile where somebody else’s cell phone use has put them in significant danger.
Driving distracted and the effects
Distracted driving is a bad idea known to all drivers. Scary results came out of a recent University of Utah study. Driving with a .08 blood alcohol level — the legal limit in many states — increases the risk of a crash by four times. Texting while driving increases chances by eight times of crashing. In other words, driving distracted is twice as dangerous as driving drunk.
Laws against distracted driving
Because of the increased risk of an accident being caused, numerous states have passed laws against distracted driving. There are eight states that restrict handheld cell phones during driving; 29 states ban “novice drivers,” and 18 states ban bus drivers from using their cell phones while driving. Thirty states and Washington D.C. ban all text messaging when driving. There is a complete list of cell phone bans on the Governors Highway Safety Association site.
Discover more details:
Pew Internet and American Life Project
pewinternet.org/
University of Utah
psych.utah.edu/lab/appliedcognition/
Governors Highway Safety Association site
ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html
