18 percent of people can't 'resist the urge' to text and drive
Most people have seen PSAs telling them texting and driving is life-threatening — but that isn't enough to make them stop doing it.
A new study from the University of Southern California's Annenberg Center for the Digital Future and Bovitz Inc. surveyed 904 drivers about their texting and driving habits, and found that 18 percent of drivers admit they "cannot resist the urge" to read or send text messages while driving. And 17 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds admitted they text and drive "always or often." (Seven percent of 35- to 54-year-olds, meanwhile, said the same.)
The drivers know what they're getting into, though. Eighty-seven percent of those surveyed said it's dangerous to text or read e-mails while driving. The practice is banned in 44 states.
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Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
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