Half of Young Drivers are Driving While Texting, Says New FindLaw.com Survey |
New State Laws Aimed at Texting Drivers
EAGAN, Minn., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Have you ever been driving next
to a car whose driver swerves in and out of their lane? Upon closer
inspection, you notice the other driver has one hand on the wheel, while
the other hand madly types a text message. You are not alone.
Nearly half of the drivers between ages 18 and 24 say they have sent a
text message, instant message or e-mail while driving, according to a new
survey by FindLaw.com (http://www.findlaw.com), the most popular legal
information Web site. The survey found that 48 percent of drivers between
the ages of 18 and 24, and more than a quarter (27 percent) of drivers 25
to 34, admit to texting while behind the wheel. Seventeen percent of all
adults surveyed say they have texted while driving.
Not surprisingly, the incidence of "Driving While Texting" is largely a
function of age. While younger, more techno-savvy drivers are more likely
to be avid texters even while driving, less than two percent of those age
55 and over say they have ever sent a text message, instant message or
e-mail while driving. Here's a breakdown of the results by age:
- 18-24 48%
- 25-34 27%
- 35-44 19%
- 45-54 11%
- 55-64 2%
- 65+ 1%
Four states -- Alaska, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington -- recently
enacted laws that ban sending text messages while driving. Thirteen other
states are reportedly considering similar legislation.
"The potential legal implications of texting while driving go far
beyond the possibility of a mere traffic violation," said Stephanie Rahlfs,
an attorney at FindLaw.com. "In the case of a traffic accident, proof that
the driver was texting while driving may be used to help prove liability
for the accident, even in states that do not ban texting while driving."
According to Rahlfs, it's conceivable that a jury could consider texting
while driving as negligent or even reckless conduct.
The FindLaw survey was conducted using a demographically balanced
telephone survey of 1,000 American adults and has a margin of error of
plus-or-minus three percent.
Additional free information on traffic laws and traffic tickets can be
found at the FindLaw.com Traffic Tickets Center
(http://public.findlaw.com/traffic-ticket-violation-law/ ).
SOURCE FindLaw.com
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CONTACT:
Michelle Croteau of FindLaw, +1-651-687-5330,
michelle.croteau@thomsonreuters.com
