Texting Could Be More Dangerous Than Drunken Driving
This morning, NBC’s “Today” show featured a story on how driving while texting could be more dangerous than driving while under the influence of alcohol. Car & Driver has developed a test to measure the difference in reaction times when driving while reading an email, actively texting and driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08, the legal limit. The test takes place on an abandoned air strip.
In terms of reaction time, both reading an email and texting were far worse than being inebriated for the older subject, Car & Driver Editor in Chief Eddie Alterman, 37. A 22-year-old intern also took the same tests and was quicker in all scenarios, with barely a variance between the three.
The “Today” segment only showed Alterman’s more dramatic results, but obviously even a slight delay in reaction time could easily be the difference in causing an accident. The video is below.
Texting While Driving: How Dangerous is it? (Car & Driver)
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O RLY? Y? OMG! C U L8R! LOL LOL LOL!
DUH!!! At least a person who is drunk is TRYING to stay on the road, albeit impaired. A person who is texting is focusing on their little cell phone screen.
Well, people who are texting are also trying to stay on the road just like the drunks as GR says. The difference is, we can put down a cell phone after we're done with a message, you can not put down being intoxicated.
Point is, people can now text even without looking. I've driven with friends who text while driving and I've even done it. MOST of the time it's unnoticeable.
I'm not saying it is okay to text while driving, but saying it's worse than a DUI, seriously? ANYTHING distracting a driver is equally dangerous, period. No NEW discoveries there!
driving is risky. perhaps deadly. do not eat, drink, smoke, text, talk on cell, argue, put on make-up, speed, tailgate, daydream or anything other than give your total attention to what you are doing. it's not worth it. there is only one thing to think about when you are driving and that is to get home safely.
thousands die every year on the road.
This doesn't surprise me one bit. The closest I have come to being in an accident (which coincidentally was just a few days ago) involved another driver texting and completely not paying attention to the road.
The statistics are not surprising. It's easy to take your eyes off the road, but not so easy to stop after taking your eyes off the road and realizing that your about to hit something or someone.
Well, I found this PSA video from the UK, but I'm sure message is universal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0LCmStIw9E&feature=player_embedded
This is why states are coming out with laws against texting while driving. You not only take your eyes off your road but the wheel when texting. It's so dangerous