Adults Text While Driving More Than Teens
Author: DavidJones // Category: Ethics, Family, Pop Culture, Youth Culture
It seems like all of the PSAs, ads, commercials, etc. about driving and texting are focused at teenagers. From the sound of it, you would think 99% of teens text and drive, and all other demographics are innocent. Well, all you have to do is lift up your head from your phone to realize there’s a bigger problem at hand.
According to research from InformationWeek, adults text while driving more than teens. The study shows that nearly half of all texting adults say they have sent or read a text message on their phone while driving, compared to about one-third of teenagers.
Neither group is excusable, and this doesn’t give teenagers a reason to point the finger and pretend to be innocent.
Information from the rest of the study can be found at InformationWeek‘s website. You can find it by clicking here.
However, I don’t know if we can expect teenagers to abide by the law if their parents aren’t following it themselves.
Parents, set the example. Your teen is watching. If you don’t want your teen to text behind the wheel, set the standard by putting the phone away while you drive. Whatever it is you need to send or read can wait. It might save your life, as well as the lives of many others.
June 28th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I agree with you that parents need to set an example, but I find these kinds of studies comical. InformationWeek used numbers from a phone survey of those 18 and older for the numbers for adults and used numbers from a separate study of 16 & 17 year olds. In both studies, the starting point were people that text – not people that drive. There was a study in 2009 that showed that 60% of mobile phone users aged 16-19 admitted to driving while texting. By raising the age by 2 years, the number of “teens” texting while driving doubles – and again, that’s starting with mobile phone users.
My guess is that if you started with teens that can drive, the number would be way higher than 60% that text while driving.
June 28th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
I see what you’re saying, but the numbers among teens do not necessarily matter when it comes to the main point. The main point is that parents need to set the standard in matters like this, and all matters of life. A PSA on TV won’t mean a thing if a parent disregards his or her own advice. Even if 90% of teens are texting while driving and only 40% of parents are texting while driving, that’s still 40% who are setting a very poor example for their children.
June 29th, 2010 at 11:46 am
I agree with you that parents need to set an example, but the numbers are 40% of adults – not parents. There’s no numbers that I found on the number of parents, and the numbers of adults differs depending on what age someone considers someone an adult. According to the US Census Bureau the average age for first time parents is 25. The numbers on teens texting while driving double when the age of “teen” is raised from 16-17 to 16-19, and I think it’s safe to say that the majority of texting “adults” are going to be under 30 years of age and likely not parents.
It’s a good issue to raise either way.
June 29th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
I have seen quite a few people who were definitely not in their 20′s texting and driving. I will admit I am guilty and I have a few years on teens. It’s a good point and we need to stop. Nothing is that urgent that is can’t wait.
July 16th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Here’s a new study that gives more specific numbers. It says that 44% of adults admit to driving and texting:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/do-as-i-say-not-as-i-text-98497159.html