Poll: Smartphone users often text, tweet behind the wheel

SEVEN IN 10 people engage in some type of smartphone activity while driving, with texting and emailing being the most common, according to recently released research by AT&T.
SEVEN IN 10 people engage in some type of smartphone activity while driving, with texting and emailing being the most common, according to recently released research by AT&T.

CRANSTON – Seven in 10 people engage in some type of smartphone activity while driving, with texting and emailing being the most common, according to recently released research by AT&T.
AT&T’s research showed that nearly four in 10 smartphone users tap into social media while driving, while almost three in 10 surf the net and one in 10 video chat. Among social platforms, Facebook is the most popular among the drivers polled, with more than a quarter saying they use it while driving, and one in seven saying they use Twitter behind the wheel.
Here is a breakdown of AT&T’s survey results regarding smartphone activities while driving:

  • Text: 61 percent
  • Email: 33 percent
  • Surf the net: 28 percent
  • Facebook: 27 percent
  • Snap a selfie/photo: 17 percent
  • Twitter: 14 percent
  • Instagram: 14 percent
  • Shoot a video: 12 percent
  • Snapchat: 11 percent
  • Video chat: 10 percent

The survey also found that 62 percent of people keep their smartphones within reach while driving, that 30 percent of people who post to Twitter while driving say they do it “all the time” and 22 percent of people who use social networks on the road cite addiction as a reason. In addition, 27 percent of those who shoot videos while driving think they can do it safely.

AT&T polled 2,067 people nationwide age 16 to 65 who use their smartphone and drive at least once a day for the survey.

Said Patricia Jacobs, president, AT&T New England, “We want Rhode Islanders to really think about the life-altering consequences, and to join us in putting their smartphones away when they’re driving.”
To show the dangers of engaging in smartphone activity behind the wheel, officials on Aug. 7 unveiled a virtual reality driving simulator at the state Department of Motor Vehicles so people can experience firsthand the potentially deadly consequences of glancing at a phone while driving as part of AT&T’s “It Can Wait” public awareness campaign.
“Today’s smartphones allow users to do so much, from calling and texting to tweeting and livestreaming. And, with each new function, it’s one more deadly distraction for those driving behind the wheel of a motor vehicle,” Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin said in a statement. “We have to continually educate drivers – young and old – to turn off the apps and tune in to the road.”
Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that said 3,154 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2013.

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