Recently a report was released stating that texting while driving has become a greater hazard than drinking and driving among teenagers. The report by researchers at Cohen Children’s Medical Center is the latest study to emphasize the dangers of driving while distracted. The report found that during the study period an estimated 49% of boys between 15 and 18 admitted texting while driving compared with 45% of girls. The study further found that laws banning texting weren’t working as there were no differences between states that did have such laws, and those that did not. The report found texting to be the worst type of distraction since it involves manual, visual and mental distractions.
According to the study 100,000 drivers are texting at any given daylight moment while more than 600,000 are using handheld phones. Even 2/3 of adults between the ages of 30 and 64 admitted to using a cell phone while driving, and 1/3 acknowledged texting. Bicyclists may consider the use of mirrors to alert them to a distracted driver who has wandered into the bike lane, etc.