Andre Yoskowitz
18 Jun 2010 22:49
According to a new study by the Pew Research Center, adults are more likely than teenagers to text while driving, with 47 percent of respondents saying they either send or read messages while at the wheel of a vehicle.
That shockingly high number compares with 34 percent of teens doing the same thing. Pew considers teens as minors aged 16 and 17.
Says Mary Madden, senior research specialist at Pew: "There's been a lot of focus on young drivers, and for good reasons. But this research provides an important reminder that adults are setting a bad example."
The U.S. Senate is currently voting on banning texting as a federal mandate, and 28 states already ban the practice. Seven states have banned all mobile phone use while driving.
Pew also says that focus groups have shown that younger children have seen older siblings and their parents texting while driving, and see it as "okay" to do, as well.
The industry as a whole is moving to discourage use of mobile phones while driving, with the CTIA wireless trade group, the National Safety Council, and large carriers Verizon and AT&T starting ad campaigns.
The survey was conducted on 2252 American adults earlier this year.