Study Released on Dangers of Texting
The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute released a new study on July 27, 2009, based on equipping trucks with video cameras and tracking approximately three million miles of hauling goods across the country. The study highlights the time that drivers were not looking at the road while sending and receiving texts. In situations where an accident occurred, or a near collision happened, drivers focused on their device for approximately five seconds, which at highway speeds equals the length of a football field. Rick Hanowski, who was in charge of the study stated that, “texting is in its own universe of risks” of contributing to car accidents and trucks accidents.
One area of surprise in the study was that research contradicts previously reported risks of talking and listening to cellphones. This study concludes that listening and talking on a cellphone does not increase the risk of an accident nearly as much as the previously report comparison to a driver operating their vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
Tags: driving while texting