An alarming study in Britain, conducted by the Royal Automobile Club, found that driving while sending and receiving text messages is more dangerous than driving while under the influence of alcohol and marijuana.
The RAC observed drivers ages 17-24 and determined that reaction times of texting drivers decreased by 35%. Alternatively, reaction times for drivers under the influence of alcohol indicated a 12% delayed reaction time and drivers under the influence of marijuana demonstrated a delayed reaction time of 21%. The study found that drivers’ steering control diminished by 91%, causing them to drift outside of their lane while texting. For those under the influence of marijuana, steering control was reduced by 35%.
In the high-tech age of Blackberry’s, cell phones, PDA’s and smartphones, this doesn’t seem to be all that surprising. We are all guilty of it. How many of you can honestly say you haven’t looked down to check your phone while driving? According to a Harvard University study, over 200 deaths and half a million injuries have stemmed from cell phone usage, including texting while driving. Just something to think about next time text and drive.
