Texting while driving impairs motorists more than being under the influence of drink or drugs
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The RAC Foundation found average reaction times slowed by 35% when 17 to 24-year-olds drove in a simulator while writing or reading texts.
Nearly 50% of drivers aged between 18 and 24 texted while driving, it said.
Previous studies had found reactions were 21% slower among those who had taken cannabis and 12% slower among those who had drunk to the legal limit.
The texters also drifted out of lanes more and had poorer steering control.
The overall driving performance was poor among those tested by the Transport Research Laboratory, which also carried out the previous studies, the RAC Foundation said.
Steering control among drivers in the text test was 91% worse, compared with 35% worse for those under the influence of cannabis.
‘Hazardous’
The TRL study followed a poll of 3000 drivers conducted by the RAC Foundation on facebook earlier in 2008.
It found that 48% of 18 to 24-year-olds admitted to texting while driving.
BBC NEWS | UK | Text driving ‘worse than drink’
One Comment
leftystrat
September 22nd, 2008
at 7:05pm
Texting while driving is what is alleged to have caused the tragic train crash in LA recently. The conductor stands accused.
We’re in a downward spiral lately. There were all of the pre-existing distractions, then along came the cell phone. Now everybody’s talking and not driving.
The latest and greatest is now texting instead of driving. Since I’m a quasi-libertarian, I wouldn’t want gov’t to pass laws on this (like they have in some states). They don’t belong there, plus people are going to ignore them anyway. They’re as useful as speed limits.
What’s the solution? Personal responsibility. In other words, we’re screwed.
Great topic!
There are laws against it: careless and reckless driving. I’d class it as reckless, which is usually defined as “willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others” or something similar. As in so many other cases, there is no need for additional laws, merely for enforcing those we have already.