Although 98% Know It’s Dangerous, Adults Are Texting & Driving More Than Teens

If you think that teens are the most distracted drivers out there on the road, think again. It appears that adults are not only on par with but are actually worse when it comes to one particular high-...
Although 98% Know It’s Dangerous, Adults Are Texting & Driving More Than Teens
Written by Josh Wolford
  • If you think that teens are the most distracted drivers out there on the road, think again. It appears that adults are not only on par with but are actually worse when it comes to one particular high-risk highway activity.

    AT&T has a new survey out as part of its “It Can Wait” anti-texting while driving campaign. This one looked at the text while driving problem with commuters – adults going to and from work.

    And the results may surprise you. The survey, which looked at over 1,000 commuters, showed that 49% admit to texting while driving. That’s more than teens, who are texting and driving at a rate of 43%, according to a previous AT&T study.

    In that study, 77% of teens said that although adults warn them of the dangers, most of them “do it themselves all the time,” so we probably should’ve seen these results coming.

    According to the survey, the texting and driving problem is actually getting worse in adult commuters. 60% said that they never texted while driving three years ago. And a whopping 98% said that they knew it was dangerous to text while driving, but do it anyway. 95% acknowledged that just reading an incoming text while driving was also wrong.

    “Businesses can help keep their employees and others on the road safe by encouraging responsible behavior behind the wheel, including obeying all laws related to the use of electronic devices,” said U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue. “We also encourage all businesses to consider joining the ‘It Can Wait’ movement to end texting while driving. Together we can help turn the tide on this serious issue.”

    As of today, 39 states ban texting while driving for all drivers, and another 6 ban the practice for novice drivers. Still, these surveys make one thing clear – awareness campaigns are fighting an uphill battle. Nearly everyone (98%!) knows that it’s dangerous to text and drive, but nearly 50% do it anyway. Sure, knowing is half the battle. But people know – and it seems, at least for now, that they don’t care.

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