Older Drivers Catching Up with Younger in Distracted Driving: Survey
Survey by Insurance Journal November 2013
Cell phone use and texting while driving are on the rise along with accessing the internet while driving — and it’s not just young people engaging in these dangerous activities behind the wheel.
State Farm today released its annual research report on distracted driving, with troubling findings.
The July 2013, survey of nearly 1,000 motorists shows a significant increase in the percentage of drivers who own smart phones, particularly among drivers age 30 and older. Additionally, the percentage of drivers who access the internet on their phone while driving has nearly doubled over the past five years, going up from 13 percent in 2009 to 24 percent in 2013.
The use of hands-free cell phones while driving has increased, while the percentage of people talking on a hand-held cell phone or texting while driving has become stagnant over the past three years.
“As smart phone ownership increases for all age groups, the safety community must ensure we are keeping pace with our understanding of the types of distractions drivers face,” said Chris Mullen, director of Technology Research at State Farm. “Much attention is paid toward reducing texting while driving, but we must also be concerned about addressing the growing use of multiple mobile web services while driving.”
When asked for their opinion on ways to encourage drivers to be more engaged in the task at hand, 74 percent of drivers surveyed said they strongly agree with laws or regulations prohibiting texting or emailing behind the wheel. However, more than half believe that laws governing cell phone use while driving are enforced to little or no extent.
To a lesser degree, 44 percent of survey respondents said they are extremely likely to support technology that would prevent texting or emailing on a cell phone while driving.
State Farm said it supports a multi-pronged approach to encouraging more engaged driving. “Legislation, enforcement, education and technology all have a role to play in making our roads safer for all who share them,” said Mullen.
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