Everyone agrees that texting while driving is bad, but two new studies show that 1) everyone is doing it, anyway, and 2) it’s not our only problem.

As part of their It Can Wait campaign, AT&T released the results of a study conducted for them by Braun Research on smartphone use while driving. Not only do nearly two-thirds of drivers text while driving, over a quarter of them are on Facebook. The major statistics from the study are as follows: 61 percent of people text 33 percent use email 28 percent use a web browser 27 percent are on Facebook 27 percent think they can safely shoot video while driving 17 percent take a selfie 14 percent are on Twitter 14 percent are on Instagram 10 percent are video chatting.

The study also found that 62% of people keep their smartphone within reach while driving, and 22% of the people using social networks while driving cite addiction as a reason. The study was self-reporting, so this means that all of the above stats are just those people who are willing to admit that they engage in these dangerous behaviors. Not everyone who crashes while recording a singalong with a selfie stick is going to tell AT&T about it, or put it on Youtube, like these people did.

These findings all come despite the fact that 46 states outlaw texting while driving, and 14 states ban hand-held cell phone use entirely. An NSC study released at the same time as the AT&T survey confirms that more than 1 in 4 car crashes in the U.S. are caused by some sort of cell phone usage, so clearly, the laws aren’t working. Despite awareness campaigns, people seem to believe that they can safely get away with the occasional text (or ameteur video shoot).

 

Resources:

AT&T Study: Smartphone Use While Driving Grows Beyond Texting to Social Media, Web Surfing, Selfies, Video Chatting

National Safety Council (NSC): Annual Estimate of Cell Phone Crashes 2013

Cell Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws