American drivers say they are talking and texting less while driving than they did a year ago and they say it’s because they are more aware of the dangers, according to an insurance company survey.
Property-casualty insurer Nationwide Insurance said its survey shows 20 percent of drivers with cell phones say they text while driving and that number jumps to 47 percent for drivers under the age of 35.
Of those who admit to texting behind the wheel, 40 percent say they do it less often than they did last year.
According to the telephone survey of 1,005 U.S. adults conducted by Harris Interactive, 67 percent of drivers admit to talking on their cell phone while driving. Of those who do, 30 percent say they do it less often than they did last year.
While the problem of driving while distracted (DWD) remains one of the deadliest risks facing drivers, this survey shows that drivers are changing their behavior due to awareness and legislation.
“The stigma now associated with distracted driving may also have fewer people willing to admit they do it, but studies continue to indicate that DWD causes one out of every four U.S. crashes,” said Bill Windsor, Nationwide’s associate vice president of consumer safety.
While drivers report they are talking and texting less frequently, the percentage of people who say they do it hasn’t changed.
Nationwide’s first DWD survey (conducted in 2007 by MarketVision using different methodology) showed 73 percent of drivers said they talked on a cell phone while driving and 19 percent admitted to texting while driving.
