No text please, we’re British
LONDON, Eng. — It’s amazing more text messages don’t begin with “Help I’m in the ditch.”
At least they should if the results of a new British study on the affects of texting while driving are any indication.
According to the research, funded by an outfit called the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) Foundation, texting while driving’s more perilous than drinking or even being high behind the wheel.
The researchers, by the way, did not send a bunch of people out on to public roads and ask them to text message their pals until they crashed. The researchers used driving simulators.
The drivers in the study were 17 to 24 year olds, and reaction times while they composed, read or even just ignored text messages deteriorated by almost 35 percent. This is worse than driving with the legal limit of alcohol in your blood (that cuts reaction time by 12 percent) or even driving high on pot. Reefer slows your reaction times down by about 21 percent, according to the RAC.
Texting drivers also drifted out of their lanes and failed to keep a safe distance behind the cars ahead of them.
Don’t be surprised if some politicians soon call for text education to be part of drivers’ school curriculum.
We’re sure they’ll be preaching abstinence.
Have your say
This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.