Virtually every motorist on the road knows - both from his or her own driving conduct and from observing fellow drivers - that distracted driving centrally accounts for a number of driving offenses, ranging from speeding and reckless driving to gross inattentiveness.
And if there was ever any doubt that the attention of a large number of drivers on our roadways is not solely on safe driving and the immediately surrounding traffic environment, a recently released study by the State Farm insurance company goes far toward putting that notion to rest.
Truly, it's dangerous out there, and becoming more so all the time. State Farm's research into the driving habits of more than 900 persons reveals that nearly one in five drivers surfs the Web regularly from a cell phone while driving, with about 35 percent of drivers engaging in text messaging.
That is on top of the approximately 75 percent who make and receive cell phone calls while driving.
If anything, State Farm says that its results are skewed downward, that is, they are likely to be underestimating the frequency of distracted driving, because most of the survey respondents were in their 30s. Given the near addiction of younger drivers to technological gadgets, the insurance company confidently predicts that a second study with more participation from drivers in their teens and 20s would reveal a much higher rate of driving distraction among the driving population.
As we have noted in past blogs, there is a growing national and regulatory focus on distracted driving, with many states - though not all - passing legislation to curb the practice. As for Georgia, texting is flatly prohibited while driving, with cell phone use also being disallowed by drivers under the age of 18,
Related Resource: www.thenorthwestern.com "Nineteen percent admit Web use while driving" March 2, 2011
