Wheels Blog: Drivers Are Still Distracted, Study Finds

At any moment during daylight hours, according to a new government study, 660,000 Americans are using cellphones or other electronic devices while driving.

The study, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, was released Friday. It revealed that, after years of coverage and campaigns, most drivers “know that texting while driving is a dangerous behavior.” But many see “distracted driving as risky when other drivers do it, but do not recognize how their own driving deteriorates.”

Almost half of those surveyed, 48 percent, said they answered their cellphones while driving at least some of the time, and 58 percent said they continued to drive after picking up the phone. Fourteen percent said they still text or e-mail while driving.

Last year’s survey said that 40 percent made or accepted phone calls while driving and about 10 percent would read or send e-mails or text messages.

Most drivers, the survey said, support a ban on cellphone use and texting while driving, and 76 percent said they would likely say something if they were a passenger alongside a driver who was sending a text.

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