Virginians: Stop texting and drive!

Have you ever wanted to tell another driver “stop texting and drive!”  Well your instincts are sound.  More and more research studies are confirming what many of us know instinctively: texting while driving can lead to serious car accidents.  (Read about recent research findings from Virginia Tech and the University of Utah in our law library article “Texting while driving can result in deadly car crashes”.)

Despite the dangers, many drivers are all too eager to text behind the wheel.  A poll by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 87 percent of drivers consider texting or emailing while driving a “very serious” safety issue.  Compare these results to the 90 percent of drivers who consider drunken driving a serious threat.

However, other surveys reveal that the perception of danger isn’t enough to deter drivers from texting.  21 percent of drivers have admitted in polls to texting or emailing while driving – and these numbers may be low because people are often reluctant to admit to bad behavior in a survey.

The most dangerous group of texters?  Young drivers.  Not only are young drivers already at an increased risk of causing auto accidents, but they are also more likely than older drivers to text behind the wheel.  Half of drivers aged 16 to 24 have admitted to texting while driving, while 22 percent of drivers 35 to 44 admitted to it.

Will Virginia’s new secondary enforcement law banning the sending or receiving of text messages by drivers make a difference?  That remains to be seen.