Although nine in 10 adults are aware that using a cell phone while driving is unsafe, 60% of drivers who have cell phones talk while driving, and nearly a quarter (22%) send and/or read text messages while driving, according to the Harris Poll.
Drivers under age 35 are more likely than those 35 and older to talk on the phone and/or text while driving. The majority of drivers (60%) who use their phones while at the wheel use handheld phones rather than hands-free devices, even though 77% say it’s safer to use hands-free devices.
Almost four in 10 adults (38%) live in states requiring the use of hands-free headseats for cell phone use while driving, up from 14% in 2006. Almost half of adults think it’s very dangerous to use a cell phone while driving, and another 26% think it’s somewhat dangerous.
Source: Harris Poll #84, July 20, 2011, Humphrey Taylor, Chairman, 161 Sixth Ave., New York, NY 10013; 585-272-8400; info@harrisinteractive.com; www.harrispollonline.com; www.harrisinteractive.com.
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