William Atkins
Tuesday, 17 November 2009 19:10
Science -
Health
Page 1 of 3
According to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, about 25% of teenagers in the United States are texting while driving. They see their parents texting and driving, too!
A new telephone and focus group survey by PEW also states that nearly 50% of teens have been riding in motorized vehicles when the driver was texting.
And, teens are not the only ones that are doing this dangerous combination of activities—texting and driving. They see their parents doing it, too!
The November 16, 2009 Pew article “
Teens still texting while driving, despite public education efforts” begins,
“A gruesome British public service video that portrays a fatal accident caused by a texting teenage driver has been the talk of Facebook and other places where young Americans congregate, but a new study suggests it hasn't done much to change their habits.”
Amanda Lenhart, co-author of the PEW study, said,
“Many teens understand the risks of texting behind the wheel, but the desire to stay connected is so strong for teens and their parents that safety sometimes takes a back seat to staying in touch with friends and family."
According to the related
Washington Post article “
U.S. teens report 'frightening' levels of texting while driving,” the following statistics have been reported by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (
NHTSA):
• 25% of U.S. teenagers ages 16 to 17 years, who have cell phones, say they text while driving.
• Nearly 50% of U.S. teenagers 12 to 17 years say they've been in cars with someone who texted while behind the wheel.
The remainder of these statistics follow on page two.
