Don’t Text and Drive

A recent New York Times article reported the case of a young British woman killed in a traffic accident. The 22-year-old driver of the car that caused the crash was sentenced to 21 months in a high-security women’s prison. This was not a case of DWI — rather DWT: driving while texting.

This dangerous behavior is not taken lightly in Britain. According to The Times, texting while driving is considered a serious aggravating factor in “death by dangerous driving,” and is typically punishable by four to seven years in prison. New guidelines of the British law place reading and composing text messages while behind the wheel in the same category as driving while intoxicated or high on drugs.

Although driving while texting and driving under the influence are treated as similar offenses under the law, it seems that the former is more socially acceptable than the latter. The Times article notes the reactions of some of the victim’s relatives. I was quite surprised to read that a number of the victim’s friends and family members sympathized with the driver. A statement from the victim’s cousin captures this sentiment: “Until Tory’s death I texted while driving, as have most people. I don’t think she realized the danger she was causing.”

This analysis is quite accurate. According to a recent poll by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 21 percent of drivers admitted to texting while driving. Even more alarming is that half of drivers in the 16- to 24-year-old cohort reported that they have engaged in this behavior. In fact, The Times reported, the victim of the accident herself had been texting behind the wheel earlier the day that the accident occurred.

Recent studies reveal just how dangerous DWT actually is. According to data from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, text messaging made the risk of a crash or near-crash event 23.2 times as high as it was with non-distracted driving. CBS News reported that a 2007 simulator study by Clemson University showed that “text messaging and using iPods caused drivers to leave their lanes 10 percent more often.”

But what is truly frightening is that this risky behavior is not occurring out of ignorance on the part of the offenders. Despite the fact that 21 percent admit to texting while driving, the same Virginia Tech poll reveals that 95 percent believe that this is unacceptable behavior. What is the explanation for this inconsistency?



Source