Americans were texting more than they were calling on their cell phones; mobile subscribers sent roughly 357 text messages a month compared to 204 phone calls per month.

Text messaging is more affordable and accessible. It was around this same time that texting and driving became an issue.

As early as 2008, states like Alaska changed their legislation to make texting while driving a misdemeanor punishable with up to one year in jail.

Who is texting and driving? The answer may surprise you. The Center for Disease Control compiled statistics for distracted driving in both the US and Europe. Although texting and driving is the most common offense, others cell phone related activities can cause similar danger, such as checking email or Facebook behind the wheel.

In the survey, drivers reported:

A typical offender of texting and driving is likely to be a young driver, even a teen.

Understand The Age Group

Self-reported texting/emailing while driving in the past 30 days among drivers ages 18 and older

United States, 2010

Based on the chart above. Drivers ages 18-29 are the biggest offenders of regular texting and driving. Drivers ages 30-39 come in second, followed by drivers ages 40-49.

Now that you better understand the highest risk age groups for texting behind the wheel, you may be wondering how the US stacks up against other countries. We’re glad you asked! The CDC also provides a comparison of cell phone use while driving among drivers 18 and older in the US and Europe compared to other countries:

The US Compared To Europe

Self-reported cell phone use while driving in the past 30 days among drivers ages 18 and older

Europe And United States, 2010

United States leads the pack in regular texting behind the wheel. In both the Netherlands and Portugal, texting and driving is a common occurrence; countries like France, Germany, and the UK have significantly fewer distracted drivers on the road.

A typical offender of texting and driving is likely to be a young driver, even a teen. Teens at the highest risk for distracted driving are those who “think they’re invincible”

Statistically speaking, teen girls are more likely to text and drive than teen boys.

In an opposing twist to the teen driver demographic, men are more likely to text and drive than women at 51% versus 42%.

As we pointed out earlier, younger drivers are the highest risk group for distractions caused by texting and driving. Here are a few more sobering statistics to shed light on the issue:

Young passengers are less likely to confront a driver who is texting while driving.

A 2011 survey revealed that young drivers are more likely to have been involved in a near-crash or crash caused by distracted driving.

Drivers younger than 25 are 2 to 3 times more likely to text or email while driving compared to older drivers.

While teens are major culprits of texting while driving – sending an estimated 1500 text messages per month – you may be shocked to find that adults in the US could be more likely to text behind the wheel than teens, according to new research.

47%

of adults admit to sending or receiving text messages will driving.

82% of Americans over 18 have a cell phone.

58% text regularly.

37%

of teens ages 16 and 17 admit to sending or receiving text messages will driving.

75% of teens have a cell phone.

66% text regularly.

An age group called the “Millennials”,ranging from ages 18 to 33, is most likely to text and drive. This age group is also more likely to have ridden in a car with a driver who texted behind the wheel.

To compare adult age groups when it comes to texting and driving:

If you fall into the 91% of Americans that use a cell phone, this is a message you need to hear. Even though you may have the best intentions and swear up and down that you’ll never text, email, or post to Facebook while driving, no one is perfect.

There’s a chance – even a slight chance – that you may try to shoot your spouse a quick text on the way home, confirming that you’ll pick up the kids from school. Yet even a split-second glance from the road could leave you at risk for a long list of dangers associated with texting and driving, like:

Research proves that texting while driving creates manual, visual, and mental distraction, making it the worst distracted driving offense of all.

What is even more shocking is the fact that surveys have revealed that 100,000 drivers may be texting at any moment in the day; over 600,000 drivers drive while talking with a cell phone on their ear.

Light Vehicle/Cars

Risk of crash/near crash event

Heavy Vehicle/Trucks

Risk of crash/near crash event

Something as simple as talking on a cell phone makes a driver 1.3 times more distracted behind the wheel. Dialing a cell phone in a heavy vehicle or truck increases distraction risk by 5.9 times. When text messaging while driving a heavy vehicle or truck, the distraction risk increases 23.2 times.

Timeline of dangers escalate with cell Phone use:

Given the fact that texting while driving causes a serious distraction, it would only make sense that roadway dangers have heightened as cell phone use has become more popular in the past 10 years.

Using intriguing statistics for the state of Pennsylvania as an example, here is an estimated timeline of the dangers of distracted driving within the past decade:

Other dangerous cell phone behavior behind the wheel:

44% of adult study participants revealed that they had witnessed a driver engaging in one of the aforementioned activities. This is compared to 40% of teens that have ridden in a car while a driver used a cell phone in a dangerous manner.

Texting and driving drivers have

2x

the risk of an impaired driving accident than a drunk driver

In light of the thousands of car accidents and fatal crashes caused by texting and driving, it’s no wonder that state legislators throughout the US want to put a stop to this madness.

As mentioned above, 39 states ban texting while driving completely, as well as the District of Columbia and Guam. 12 of these laws were recently passed in 2010. 10 states, including the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands, prohibit cell phone use behind the wheel altogether.

While violation of a texting while driving law could result in serious danger on the road, it can also lead to legal penalties. Although the laws vary greatly from state to state, punishment could include any combination of:

Even though the majority of states have some type of texting ban in place, anti-texting-while-driving groups continue to rally for tougher legislation. Nationwide anti-texting campaigns are also used to bring awareness to drivers of all age groups to encourage a change in behavior, before more dangerous consequences occur.

Wireless cell phone provider AT&T has promoted its “It Can Wait” campaign to raise awareness about texting and driving dangers for teens. Other schools have hosted events like a National Day of Awareness to discourage texting and driving throughout the US, with thousands of schools in participation.

The University of Georgia went so far as to launch an anti-texting and driving campaign targeted at student drivers, called txtl8r (text later). The campaign consisted of TV and radio public service announcements and digital signs to bring awareness to students on campus and throughout Georgia.

As public awareness increases, tougher texting while driving laws in each state may be imminent.

Virginia have proposed to increase penalties to make the offense as punishable as reckless driving.

New York make texting and driving a primary offense, meaning that it can warrant a traffic stop and ticket for a single violation.

New York officials have even proposed the introduction of new technology that will automatically shut off electronic devices in a car

A Passenger

A Parent

A Driver

“Even one texting and driving exception could result in an accident”

If you take one thing away from this article, we hope that you leave with the fact that texting and driving isn’t worth the risk, under any circumstance. Texting and driving is a growing epidemic that could lead to the injury or death of yourself and others.

By taking your eyes off the road for just a moment, you instantly become a distracted driver and 23 times more likely to crash.