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AAA Study Finds Adults Are More Likely To Text While Driving Than Teens

By Mark Abrams

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - OMG! A survey conducted by Triple-A shows texting and driving by adults is a bigger problem than it is for teens.

The survey compiled by the Triple-A Foundation finds teens in the range of 16-to-18 years old are texting less than older, more experienced drivers.

Triple-A Mid-Atlantic's Jenny Robinson says the survey found 45-percent of the drivers surveyed between the ages of 25 and 39 admitted to sending a text or email while driving, while only 31-percent in the teen range did.

The results were surprising.

"We're so glad the message is getting out to the teenagers," Robinson said. "And now we've got to get their older brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles and parents to listen up."

She says while many people believe using the phone for calls while driving is safe, federal traffic safety data shows the distraction roughly quadruples your risk of being in a crash.

"Adults have jobs and maybe they feel they need to be checking their work email or answering work phone calls on top of anything personal so there may be other motivations for wanting to use the phone."

She says it's clear from the research that the "No Texting While Driving" campaigns are reaching younger drivers. Robinson suggests adults may become the next target of such messages.

 

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