New Study Reveals Who’s Most Guilty Of Texting While Driving
Put the phone down! (Photo: Getty Images)
A new study shows who is the most guilty of texting behind the wheel.
Researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health examined data collected over a two-year period by students who stood at various intersections and recorded their observations of the drivers. They took note of cell phone use (talking or texting), seat belt use, presence of passengers, and driver and vehicle characteristics.
According to the findings, recently published in the journal Preventive Medicine Reports, it turns out that drivers under the age of 25 were more than four times more likely to use their cell phones while driving. And women were 1.63 times more likely to use their phones, compared with male motorists.
“Drivers distracted by cell phones pose a safety threat to pedestrians and motorists in these areas,” R. Sue Day, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics & Environmental Sciences, said in a statement. “The data show us that females and younger drivers are most likely to use the phone while driving, which means that public safety campaigns could benefit from targeting those two groups.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a term for this type of behavior: distracted driving. Every day, more than nine people die and more than 1,153 are injured in car accidents involving a distracted driver. According to the Federal Communications Commission, a driver is 23 times more likely to crash while texting and driving.
Adults are more guilty of texting behind the wheel than teens, according to a recent study from AT&T — even though 98 percent of adults in the study said they knew it was dangerous to do so. In fact, two-thirds of the adults copped to reading a text while stopped at a light or stop sign, and more than 25 percent said they’ve fired off a text message while driving.
