AT&T Reveals Scary Texting-While-Driving Stats

It turns out its the businessperson not the teenager you should worry more about on the road when it comes to the distractions of texting.

A new poll conducted by ResearchNow on behalf of AT&T shows that nearly half of commuters (49 percent) admit to texting while driving. And almost half of those (43 percent) said it’s a habit. A slightly smaller number of teenagers in a separate poll (43 percent) said they do it.

This problem is getting worse. Six in 10 commuters polled said they never texted while driving three years ago, despite 98 percent of them acknowledging that the practice of sending a text or email from behind the wheel isn’t safe.

AT&T is asking businesses to join the more than 165 organizations already engaged in the Texting & Driving-It Can Wait movement, which offers tools to help encourage employees to ditch texting and driving.

Businesses can help keep their employees and others on the road safe by encouraging responsible behavior behind the wheel, including obeying all laws related to the use of electronic devices,” said U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue. We also encourage all businesses to consider joining the It Can Wait movement to end texting while driving. Together we can help turn the tide on this serious issue.”

Texting while driving is illegal in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

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