The next time a car near you doesn’t seem to be able to stay in their lane, you may want to glance over and make sure both of their hands are on the wheel instead of on their cell phone or Blackberry. The newest distraction to hit the roadways isn’t simply talking on the phone while driving, but text messaging.

I hope you’re thinking, “text messaging? But that takes two hands!” However, a recent study by FindLaw.com shows that texting while driving may be more common than you’d think. The survey found that 48% of drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 and over a quarter of drivers 25 to 34 admitted to texting or emailing while behind the wheel. Interestingly, texting while driving correlates to age; older individuals are less likely to text while driving than younger, more tech-savvy people. And since some states have enacted bans against speaking on cell phones, people may turn to texting because it is still legal in most places, though possibly more dangerous since it usually involves two hands. However, that may change soon. Four states - Minnesota, Alaska, New Jersey, and Washington - have already banned texting while driving, and legislation is under consideration in thirteen more states.

Whether or not text messaging while driving is legal in your state or not, it’s one of the most distracting things someone can do while driving and has been the cause of several crashes and deaths around the country. Even though it only takes a few seconds to type out a message, seconds are precious time while behind the wheel of a car. So the next time you get a text or email while driving, remember that the possible consequences of responding right away far outweigh the consequences of waiting until you’re in a safer situation to respond.

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Tags: Auto News, General Auto //