Are you the kind of driver who talks or texts on your phone while driving because you’ve convinced yourself you’re a multitasking pro? Think again. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver, compared to 3,267 in 2010. Statistics from the Center for Disease Control show that each day more than 9 people are killed and more than 1,060 people are injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver.
A new paper published in Pediatrics from the Cohen Children’s Medical Center this week shows how texting and driving is quickly becoming the new drunk driving among teens. The study found that texting and driving was responsible for more than 3,000 fatalities among teenagers in 2012, while 2,700 of them died from drinking and driving.
Of course we don’t need a new study to tell us what we already know: distracted driving puts everyone on the road in grave danger—even if it’s only for a few seconds. To tell the truth, most of us are guilty of it. Over 60% of drivers in the United States ages 18-64 reported that they had talked on their cell phone while driving within the 30 days before they were surveyed by the CDC in 2011.
So tell us: what are your cellphone habits? You’re amongst friends, so go on and be honest. [poll id=309696]