Driving comes second nature to consumers who’ve performed the task daily for years on end. Thus, these same individuals are often lured into believing that their skills and experience allow them to safely multi-task while behind the wheel. That mistaken assumption may cost other drivers and innocent pedestrians their lives.

Texting While Driving is As Dangerous As Drunk Driving

A 2008 study performed by the Transport Research Laboratory in the United Kingdom found that drivers sending text messages while on the road presented a greater danger to other consumers than individuals driving under the influence of alcohol. The following points were cited by the study:

  • A drunk driver’s reaction time is slowed by an average of 21%.
  • A texting driver’s reaction time is slowed by an average of 35%.
  • The steering control of a texting driver decreases by 91%.
  • The average text message takes 41 seconds longer to compose while driving.

According to Dr. Nick Reed, the lead researcher on the study, one of the greatest dangers drivers face is their ignorance of the dangers themselves. Rather than simply being physically distracted by the act of sending or receiving a text, the driver is also mentally distracted because he is focused, not on the road, but on the message he’s just read or is about to send.