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Driving doesn’t stop teens from texting, study says

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By William Hershey, Staff Writer Updated 7:37 PM Tuesday, November 17, 2009

COLUMBUS — For many teenagers, texting and talking on a cell phone while driving has become a way of life, albeit a potentially dangerous one.

A study released this week by the Pew Research Center, included these findings:

• More than one in three — 34 percent — of texting teens, ages 16-17, say they have texted while driving. That translates into 26 percent of all American teens, ages 16-17.

• 48 percent of youngsters, ages 12-17, say they have been in a car when the driver was texting.

• 75 percent of Americans, ages 12-17, own a cell phone and 66 percent use them to send or receive text messages.

• 52 percent of cell-owning teens, ages16-17, say they have talked on a cell phone while driving. This translates into 43 percent of American teens in that age group.

• 40 percent of youngsters, ages 12-17, say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put them in danger.

Release of the study comes in the wake of the summit that U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood convened in September to discuss the risk of text-messaging and other “distracted driving” behavior. At the conclusion of the summit, President Barack Obama issued an executive order prohibiting federal workers from texting while driving.

Several bills have been introduced in the state legislature outlawing the use of texting and handheld cell phones while driving but none has moved out of committee. Gov. Ted Strickland is interested, said Amanda Wurst, his spokeswoman.

Nationally, 19 states and the District of Columbia ban text messaging for all drivers and six states and the District of Columbia prohibit all drivers from talking on hand-held cell phones while driving.

Also, some states have restrictions in place for novice drivers and school bus operators and some cities, including Cleveland and the Columbus suburb of Bexley, ban texting while driving.

Recent studies have described potential consequences of driving and cell phone use and texting.

For example, in July a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study reported that for truck drivers who were text messaging, the risk of a crash or near crash was 23.2 times as high as for a nondistracted driver.

For the new study, the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project this summer conducted a survey of 800 youngsters, ages 12-17, asking about their experiences with phone use in cars. In addition, the Pew Internet Project and the University of Michigan conducted nine focus groups with youngsters, ages 12-18, between June and October 2009 that addressed driving and mobile phones.

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1608 or whershey@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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Sure,people do lots of things while driving that makes it a distraction. But ONLY teens lose complete mind control where as their entire lifes processes come to a complete halt as they grab the phone to see the text and to send one. Nothing in life matters except the text.THE TEXT.THE TEXT. THE TEXT.It is really something to see. One thinks they have a responsible teen,when all of a sudden they are reduced to a complete blithering idiot by technology. Insurance companies will make a killing!!

Bob
5:20 AM, 12/11/2009

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Alex, the link regarding mobile phones is appreciated. Although poorly written and rife with glaring factual and grammatical errors, it carried some interesting information. But I do not see how a license can have an "ascription," and think a restriction would be only partially effective. I would think a better solution would be laws passed requiring technology be implemented to render inoperable any phones used by drivers while their vehicle is moving, excepting only calls to 911 services.

B. Knott Wildered
4:57 PM, 11/19/2009

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I seldom find blanket statements or absolutes to be accurate and/or fair. Teenagers should never be allowed to drive, period? I was a good and a responsible driver even as a teenager. That is backed up by my track record, and since I was working a job while still a teenager, driving was virtually a necessity for me. My daughter is much closer to 30 than 26, so physically she hardly qualifies as a teenager. My ex-wife was a poor driver and bears sole responsibility for my daughter's training.

B. Knott Wildered
3:56 PM, 11/19/2009

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i think that this problem with the usage of <a href="http://z-mobilephones.com/">mobile phones</a> while driving can be resolved with some fines and the astriction of the driving license.

Alex
4:45 AM, 11/19/2009

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Teenagers shouldn't be allowed to drive, period.

Nat
1:26 AM, 11/19/2009

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