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Re-activateNineteen percent of people in a recent State Farm Insurance survey admit to accessing the Internet while driving. The top web activities found include looking at directions, reading email, looking up specific information, checking social networking sites, and writing and sending emails.
Most people said they engaged in these activities while stopped at a red light or driving in traffic. Other common times were during daylight hours, driving alone, and on long drives.
The survey was conducted online with 912 drivers who drove at least an hour per week and owned a smartphone. The survey aimed to look at the growing trend of smart-phone usage. According to State Farm, about 40 percent of the U.S. population owns a web-enabled phone. With the proliferation of smartphones, there is an increasing risk of crashes due to distractions, particularly among younger drivers.
Distracted driving has become a severe problem: In 2009 over 5,500 people were killed and 448,000 injured in accidents related to driver distraction. Just last week, Consumer Reports and the Department of Transportation teamed up to help parents and educators talk to teens about the dangers. (Download the pamphlet pdf.)
For more on distracted driving, see our April issue report and our guide to distracted driving and teen safety.
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