Texting While Driving is More Dangerous Than Drunk Driving
According to a new study, drivers who test and use other similar mobile communication devices are more dangerous than those drivers who drive while intoxicated (aka DWI or DUI). The study observed 17 - 24 year old drivers on a simulated course who drove while under the influence of alcohol or marijuana and compared them with drivers who drove while writing and reading text messages.
For those drivers who were writing and reading text messages, their reaction times were slower by 35%. Drivers who were under the influence of alcohol at the legal limit (0.08 in Florida) had only 12% slower reaction times. Drivers who were under the influence of marijuana had 21% slower reaction times. The study also looked at drivers' lane departures and steering abilities. Drivers who were writing and reading text messages drifted out of their lane more often than drivers intoxicated on alcohol or marijuana and scored 91% worse in the steering phase of the tests. Not surprisingly, the driving experts who conducted the study concluded that drivers who write and/or read text messages are much more likely to be involved in an injury or fatal motor vehicle accident, more so than those who drive while under the influence of alcohol or marijuana.
Driving while intoxicated from alcohol or drugs carries a major stigma in this country, however, parents should not dismiss the apparently riskier behavior of driving while using a text messaging or other mobile communication device.
