Text Driving worse than drink driving

Drink driving in its own right is a very dangerous thing to do but new studies have revealed that the most dangerous thing to do whilst driving is to text and drive.

According to national research, texting impairs motorists further than alcohol and drug influences.

The research was compiled from a selection of different studies, one including findings from the RAC foundation who completed a simulator study. The study tested the affects of texting whilst driving and 17 – 24 year olds participated, the result found that reaction times were slowed down by 35% while they read and wrote texts.

The RAC also stated that nearly 50% of 18 – 24 year olds texted whilst driving. Reaction is slowed by 21% when cannabis is consumed and 12% slower when drunk to the legal limit.

When driving, people who text are more likely to cause a serious accident, as they are not in full control of their steering, by drifting in and out of lanes etc.

In actual fact steering control is decrease by 91% when on the phone, talking, texting or even holding the device. The combining factors of impaired reaction time and vehicle time are a greater risk then having consumed alcohol to the legal limit.

Drivers who use hand help phones face a £60 fine and three penalty points. In August, a law was implemented to harshly penalise those who cause death by careless driving.