Almost 7% of Drivers Text “All The Time”
Texting While Driving, Most Common Among 25-34 Year Olds
A recent national survey by the car accident attorneys at Hasbrook & Hasbrook found that 28% of drivers have texted while driving during the last 30 days. The online poll, conducted May 14-16 by Google Consumer Surveys, found that almost 7% of respondents text while driving “all the time,” and more than 8% do so “a few times a week.”
Not surprisingly, the survey also found that younger and male drivers are most likely to text while driving.
The survey was commissioned by Hasbrook & Hasbrook, an Oklahoma City law firm, www.oklahomalawyer.com. The survey is based on 759 respondents whose answers were weighted to form a representative sample of the U.S. Internet population.
Drivers in the 25 to 34 age range do the most texting while driving, with 42% responding that they have done so in the past month and 14% saying they do so “all the time.” The percentage declines as age increases, with only 6% of people 65 years and older saying that they have texted while driving in the past month.
According to the survey, men are slightly more likely than women to text while driving. Almost 75% of women say they never text while driving, compared to 69% of men. On the other end of the scale, almost 9% of men say that the text “all the time,” compared to less than 5% of women.
Google Consumer Surveys are conducted online and are considered more accurate than random telephone surveys, which are the basis of many national polls.
The Dangers of Texting While Driving
The survey reveals the prevalence of texting while driving. Many other studies have confirmed the dangers of the practice. According to the Federal Communications Commission, among drivers 18 to 20 years old who survived an automobile accident, 11% admitted they were sending or receiving texts when they crashed.
According to DriveNowTextLater (dedicated to combating texting while driving):
• Texting while driving multiplies the likelihood of a crash by 23 times. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute)
• A car traveling 55 miles an hour covers the length of a football field in 4.6 seconds, the amount of time it takes to send or receive a text message.
Despite the popularity of texting while driving across the nation, it is against the law in 43 states, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
