A fourth of the teens questioned in a Pew study -- 26 percent --
admitted they have texted while driving.
Boys and girls were equally likely to report texting behind the wheel.
CNet explained that
despite increased publicity over the dangers of texting while driving, many teenagers (like many adults) have yet to get the message:
"Though some teen drivers said they only text at a red light or will hand the phone over to a passenger to text, others didn't seem to care about the risk.
"Pew found one high school boy who said he thinks texting while driving is 'fine,' adding, 'I wear sunglasses so the cops don't see [my eyes looking down].' A high-school girl admitted that she texts 'all the time,' and that 'everybody texts while they drive ... like when I'm driving by myself I'll call people or text them cause I get bored.' "
Car and Driver magazine tested
how much texting slows down driver response time. CNBC
summarized what the magazine found:
"Rigging a car with a red light to alert drivers when to brake, the magazine tested how long it takes to hit the brake when sober, when legally drunk at .08, when reading e-mail, and when sending a text. The results are scary. Driving 70 miles per hour on a deserted air strip Car and Driver editor Eddie Alterman was slower and slower reacting and braking when e-mailing and texting.
"The results:
- "Unimpaired: .54 seconds to brake
- "Legally drunk: add 4 feet
- "Reading e-mail: add 36 feet
- "Sending a text: add 70 feet"
