More Americans Texting While Driving, Despite Bans
New Study Shows Half of 21-24 Year Olds Are Offenders
One would think that with a spike in the number of U.S. states enforcing a ban on texting while driving that most people would focus their attention on the road. Not so, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in a new study.
According to the NHTSA, more people are texting behind the wheel than last year. In a survey of roughly 6,000 American drivers, approximately 18 per cent said they'd texted behind the wheel. The worst offenders: those kids aged 21 to 24; about half of all respondents in this age bracket said they'd texted while driving.
It's troubling news from the NHTSA, which last year reported that at any given moment one in 100 American drivers were texting, emailing, or surfing the Internet with a handheld electronic device like a smartphone or MP3 player. That rate was up 50 per cent from the previous year, indicating that people are texting far more as time goes on.
What's shocking about the new study is that thirty-five states now have bans in place against this kind of behaviour, and yet it continues. There have also been plenty of studies emphasizing the danger associated with texting and driving; last year, roughly 3,100 people were killed in traffic accidents caused by driver distractions, ranging from eating behind the wheel to navigating cellphone contacts.
The problem appears to be that most people simply think their driving skills are good enough to compensate for being distracted. "Everyone thinks he or she is an above average driver — it’s all the nuts out there who need educating," noted Insurance Institute for Highway Safety representative, Russ Rader.
And it isn't just texting that represents a problem, either. Far more people -- 71 per cent versus 41 per cent -- admitted they'd answered calls while driving this past year than the year prior.
The solution? Treat the issue as if it were no different than speeding or drinking and driving. For experts, that means encouraging law enforcement to issue more tickets, and steeper tickets at that.
"It is clear that educational messages alone aren’t going to change their behavior," noted expert Jonathan Adkins. "Rather, good laws with strong enforcement are what is needed. Many drivers won’t stop texting until they fear getting a ticket."
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