What’s that old saying? “If you talk the talk, you should walk the walk.” It seems not every driver in Tennessee does that. According to a new survey, 88 percent of Tennessee drivers believe that texting, or looking at a phone, while driving is dangerous behavior. But at the same time, 27 percent of them admit to doing just that in the last month.
Clearly, distracted or drowsy driving is a leading cause of car accidents, right up there with driving while intoxicated. Only 4 percent of drivers in the survey admitted to driving after drinking. But a whopping 25 percent of them admitted to driving while they were drowsy at some point in the prior 30 days.
The survey, conducted by the University of Tennessee Center for Transportation Research, seems to indicate a false sense of security among drivers. It’s possible that some of the drivers polled don’t believe a bad accident could happen to them. Maybe others are trying to kick the habit of texting while driving, which could result in a fine if they are caught by police.
Whatever the case, drivers need to be aware that dangerous behavior, such as driving too fast, getting behind the wheel while sleepy or fiddling with an electronic device while driving, can negatively impact all motorists around them.
According to KnoxNews.com, it’s likely that the results of the University of Tennessee study will be used to determine where to implement education campaigns.
Source: KnoxNews.com, “Editorial: Drivers need to drive, not send text messages,” Jan. 30, 2012