Teen Texting And Driving Fatalities Surpass Drunk Driving Deaths

It’s finally happened – texting and driving is officially killing more teens annually than drunk driving. According to a study conducted by Cohen Children’s Medical Center – 3,000 teens are dying annually from texting while driving drunk is causing 2,700 deaths annually.

According to CBS New York, 50% of students are still texting while driving despite televised public service announcements, and national conversation about the issue. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 69% of adults 18-64 admit to talking on their cell phones while operating their vehicles, while 31% of the same grouping confess to reading and responding to text messages and emails.

Cases of Distracted Driving Include:

• Texting
• Using a cell phone or smartphone
• Eating and drinking
• Talking to passengers
• Grooming
• Reading, including maps
• Using a navigation system
• Watching a video
• Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that due to distracted driving, more than 9 people are killed on a daily basis in the United States.

These numbers are startling, and we have to wonder if enough is being done to combat the issue. Although multiple states have banned texting while driving, it just doesn’t seem to be enough of a deterrent – especially for young drivers.

Sources
CBS New York
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention