Survey Says: Teens think texting and driving is not as harmful as drinking and driving
A new survey conducted by State Farm and Harris Interactive shows that despite research showing that texting while driving can be as dangerous as drunk driving, many teens still don’t believe it.
“In the survey, fewer teens view texting while driving as leading to fatal consequences as compared to drinking while driving,” State Farm said in a press release. “Of 14-17 years-olds who intend to have or already have a driver’s license, the survey found that 36 percent strongly agree that if they regularly text and drive they could be killed one day. In contrast, the majority of teens (55 percent) strongly agree that drinking while driving could be fatal.”
The survey showed that many teens think that the chances of getting into an accident are still higher when drinking while driving versus texting while driving. 63 percent strongly agree they could get into a vehicle accident if they text and drive, while 78 percent strongly agree they could get into an accident if they drink and drive.
The survey was conducted in July among 697 U.S. teens 14-17 years of age. The National Safety Council estimates that 200,000 crashes each year are caused by drivers who are texting.
– By: Omar Rana