In the United States, where driving while using telephones without hands-free adaptor kits and texting at the wheel are not widely illegal, one in four people confesses to texting and driving, a survey found Wednesday. “We often like to say 26 percent of people admit to driving while texting. We are sure that underestimates the problem,” said Dave Grannan, of Vlingo, a mobile voice application company that polled 4,800 people.
Vlingo says it is the inventor of “voice user interface” technology allowing people to “control their mobile phones with the power of voice” instead of punching buttons. The company said the poll has a plus or minus 1.41 percent sampling error.
The news comes as those polled revealed that texting — often seen as more typical behavior for young people — generally has spread to older people: 60 percent of all mobile phone users are texting, the survey found. And that means more people potentially texting at the wheel, currently only banned in seven US states and the capital city.
Twenty-six percent of those surveyed said they could not resist a bit of texting while driving, it found. The Hall of Shame went to Tennessee where 42 percent admit to indulging in the dangerous behavior. And “in our survey, the youngest and least experienced drivers those 16 to 19, they admit by 66 percent driving while texting. That’s scary,” said Grannan.
“Despite more states adding the laws, and despite some high profile accidents, people are still driving while texting at the same rate they were a year ago,” he said, noting: “we would have thought it would go down because of the public awareness and public policy.” Last year, authorities in Los Angeles said the conductor of a train involved in a rail crash that left 25 people dead was sending text messages on his mobile phone during working hours.
Anyone who reads this blog should know that I am the last person to recommend more nanny state control. However, I ride a motorcycle almost daily and the number of times I have been cut off or had a car pull out in front of me is getting ridiculous. As a biker I fear for my life. Depending on the results of this poll, I may or may not give up my motorcycle obsession.
I’m amazed because the guy wasn’t even black.
20,
Yeah. You’re real persuasive. I guess you always drive alone then. Or at least you drive with blind and deaf people.
#29. It is none of my business what you do on a cell phone, I couldn’t care less….until you jeopardize me or who is riding with me. Then, I make it my business. Got it?
Yes, ban texting while driving. Take it a step further and lock up all people who talk continuously on cell phones. Driving or no, they have no redeeming value.
I’ve seen another danger that hasn’t been on the news, YET. Every week I see a few people listening to iPods in their cars. Instead of buying a decent car stereo they just drive wearing headphones. Lock these fools up double quick.
About once a month, I some gigantic SUV nearly runs me down and — inevitably — the driver is on a cell phone. Hands free doesn’t matter.
I say NO calling and driving. A total ban.
OK,
we have to install this in ALL enemy nations, and forbid LAWS against It..
we install the cell towers and everything, and SHOW comercials on HOW much fun it is to talk on a cellphone and CHAT with people in the back seat..FACE TO FACE…they always have fun..
This poll in relation to the Blog headline is very deceptive. First the reader is primed with the title “1 in 4 Texting While Driving, What Say You?”; yet the poll question itself reads, “Do you favor a nationwide ban on cell phone use while driving?” These are two very DIFFERENT questions and in the current context make this post very misleading. To this end I suggest making sure both the question and the post topic are more in line… srsly.
I don’t agree with banning cellphones outright and I think the Washington State idea of hands-free is good enough, though it does seem like a slam-dunk for the accessory manufacturers. However, though I am guilty of it myself, I do think texting while driving is a dumb idea, pure and simple. That I do support.
I don’t know if I would ban cell phones completely while driving, but it should be illegal to be texting or reading text messages while driving.
I use my cell phone a lot for work and I’m in the car for at least 3 hours a day and most of that time on the cell phone too. I have a Kenwood dual-din headunit with bluetooth and when someone calls my phone (which is always just in my pocket) I just get a pop-up on my LCD screen on the radio and my radio automatically mutes and signals the incoming call, if I want to accept it I just press a button on my steering wheel. I don’t even have to let go of the steering wheel for all of the radio functions. I think I have a better capability for multi-tasking though, because when I was a kid I took guitar and piano lessons and would sing and play guitar at the same time which is a difficult thing to do concentration-wise.
I answered the phone while driving exactly one time and I could hardly believe how much more difficult it was to drive. I’m _never_ doing that again. I’ll pull over first, or at least say “Wait a sec while I pull over,” then talk.
Mr. Mc C, I think you should give up the bike, its just too dangerous to be commuting daily on a bike nowadays. maybe you could get a dirt bike to ride for fun or just use your street machine on “sunday rides” but no more daily commutes, think of your family.
There is sooooo much more stupid stuff that should be banned first. Like allowing passengers to ride in the bed of a pickup or having your dog on your lap while you drive. Why are we becoming a nation of Pansies?
I think (perhaps hope) that all of this activity will die out with the next generation. Just as CB Radios did after the 1970s. For a time, eveyone had to have them in their car. Even if they didn’t use them (just in case they needed to). And I knew people who’d gossip for hours on base stations (guys!), without saying anything of any real importance. I could pick up their chatter on by stereo, you see. I think all this Texting is the same way, now.
And some day, the kids will think the older generation is weird for doing this stuff. And maybe live video phoning will be its replacement. Which probably won’t make driving any safer. But maybe cars will steer themselves by then.