(WTVR) A large numbers of teens admit to texting and driving.
Recently, in a landmark case, a Massachusetts teen was sentenced to prison for texting while driving.
A recent survey by AT&T uncovers some pretty stark statistics. The survey found that while 97% of teens say they know that texting while driving is dangerous, 43% of them admit to sending a text while driving.
Another 75% surveyed said that the practice is common among their friends.
Highlights of the AT&T Teen Driver Survey (from a press release):
- Peer Pressure: Almost all teens (89 percent) expect a reply to a text or email within five minutes or less.
- “Gateway” Dangers: 70 percent of teens believe texting while stopped at a red light is dangerous. Still, 60 percent of teens admit to texting at a red light and 73 percent admit to glancing at their phone at a red light.
- Learning by Example: According to 77 percent of teens, adults tell kids not to text while driving – yet adults do it themselves “all the time.”
- Minority Disparities: Hispanic teens (54 percent) are more likely to admit to the practice of texting while driving than Caucasian (41 percent) and African-American (42 percent) teens.
- What Helps Lessen the Urge: 89 percent of teens said a phone app to prevent texting & driving – like AT&T DriveModeTM – would be an effective way to get them or their friends to stop texting and driving. AT&T DriveModeTM provides a customizable auto-reply message notifying friends that the user is driving and will respond when it is safe.
