AT&T: Parents, Kids Text on the Road Despite Dangers
Parents are setting a terrible example when it comes to avoiding the distractions of wireless technology while behind the wheel.
Forty-one percent of teens in a survey commissioned by AT&T reported observing their parents read or send an email or text while driving.
Teens are hardly more cautious than their moms and dads. Although three-quarters of respondents said texting while driving is very dangerous, nearly half (43 percent) admit to doing it anyway. That’s not much of a surprise considering texting ranks at the most popular mode of communication among adolescents.
AT&T released the survey as part of a campaign and ahead of the “100 deadliest days” for teenagers who drive on the road: the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Andrea Brands, AT&T director of consumer safety & education, said more needs to be done so that texting on the road becomes as socially unacceptable as drinking and driving.
Meanwhile, tools like AT&T’s DriveMode application are helping with the effort to eliminate unsafe driving behavior; the app provides an auto-reply message that notifies friends a user is driving and will respond when it is safe.
For more information on AT&T’s survey and additional information on the dangers of text messaging and driving, click here and here.
