Texting Kills – What Are You Doing About It? [AUDIO]

Nic Eskew and his associates at American National Insurance are gathering at Natrona County High School from 11-1 today to share some information on texting and driving.

At the same time they will be handing out thumb bands as a simple reminder and asking that those recieving the bands sign a pledge to not drive while distracted. Nic joined us this morning to talk about it.

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Here are some statistics from www.textingkills.net

Teen Driver Cell Phone and Texting Statistics

• Despite the risks, the majority of teen drivers ignore cell phone driving restrictions.
• Talking on a cell phone while driving can make a young driver’s reaction time as slow as that of a 70-year-old.
• 56% of teenagers admit to talking on their cell phones behind the wheel, while 13% admit to texting while driving. (Note: Because this information was given voluntarily by teens, actual cell phone use numbers may be much higher.)
• 48% of young Americans from 12-17 say they’ve been in a car while the driver was texting.
• 52% of 16- and 17-year-old teen drivers confess to making and answering cell phone calls on the road. 34% admit to text messaging while driving.
• In 2007, driver distractions, such as using a cell phone or text messaging, contributed to nearly 1,000 crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers.
• Over 60% of American teens admit to risky driving, and nearly half of those that admit to risky driving also admit to text messaging behind the wheel.
• Each year, 21% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 were the result of cell phone usage. This result has been expected to grow as much as 4% every year.
• Almost 50% of all drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 are texting while driving.
• Over one-third of all young drivers, ages 24 and under, are texting on the road.
• Teens say that texting is their number one driver distraction.