Teens Not the Guiltiest Group for Texting and Driving

If you're a regular follower of my blog, you know that I often highlight the issue of texting while driving. This problem is commonly attributed to teens, who seemingly can't help themselves from immediately texting their BFF back ASAP. There are even several laws put into place to keep the younger drivers from getting behind the wheel and the screen of their cellphones simultaneously. However, a recent article caught my attention when it claimed that teens aren't the primary source of the problem when it comes to texting and driving.

Instead of it being teenagers, it's actually people more like myself that are prone to text and drive, I am sad to say. According to recent reports, 49% of business professionals report texting while driving compared to 43% of teens. The study was performed by AT&T, SKDKnickerbocker and Beck Research and included 1,200 teens and an unspecified number of adults. I'm still not totally convinced by these statistics, considering the researchers did not report how many adults were polled, but even if the stats are anecdotal at this point, they are still pretty stunning.

Considering that just three years ago, 6 out of 10 professional commuters said that they "never text while driving", the new numbers are pretty disturbing for adults who should know better. The teens clearly understand that texting while driving is bad, with 97% in the study saying they know this is a fact, but that number drops to 70% when talking about texting while stopped at a red light. So neither group is perfect; however, the teens say that adults are hypocrites for admonishing the younger generation for using their cellphones while driving when 80% of teens say they regularly witness adults driving and texting. April is distracted driving awareness month–let's stop the madness for both teens and adults alike, and keep the roads safe for everyone!