Survey finds new fear factor - drivers texting a lot

Last update: August 12, 2008 - 11:50 PM

Nearly half of drivers ages 18 to 24 admit to sending a text message, instant message or e-mail while driving, according to a survey released Tuesday.

The legal information website FindLaw.com found that 48 percent of drivers between 18 to 24 and 27 percent of drivers 25 to 34 admit to texting while behind the wheel.

Seventeen percent of all adults surveyed say they have sent text messages, instant messages or e-mails while driving.

Less than 2 percent of those age 55 and older say they have ever sent messages or e-mail while driving.

Alaska, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington recently enacted laws banning texting while driving.

The FindLaw survey was conducted using a demographically balanced telephone survey of 1,000 American adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points.

Earlier this year, the state Department of Public Safety conducted an informal driving survey of about 400 Minnesota teenagers. The respondents reported texting was their biggest distraction while driving and was also cited as the "most unsafe" behavior their friends engaged in while driving.

"These survey results paint a scary reality on the nation's and Minnesota roads," said Cheri Marti, director of the Office of Traffic Safety. "There's something very wrong when drivers put unnecessary actions such as texting ahead of the important task of driving."

PAUL WALSH