Texting While Driving Common Among Teens
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Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Teens frequently engage in high-risk behavior, notably sending text messages while driving, according to data from a new study.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conduct a Youth Risk Behavior Survey every two years. Data for the 2011 survey showed that nearly 43 percent of teenagers reported texting or emailing while driving. Males were more likely to text while driving with 46 percent as compared to 40 percent of females.
Older teens were also more likely to text and drive, with 52 percent of 18-year-olds saying they had done so, compared to 26 percent of 15-year-olds.
Teens who admitted to texting while driving were also more prone to engaging in other high-risk behaviors, including drinking alcohol, indoor tanning and unprotected sex.
The study did note, however, that prohibitive legislation is effective in minimizing at least one form of risky teen behavior. In states where texting while driving is illegal, just 39.3 percent of teens admitting to distracted driving, as compared to 43.5 percent in states without such legislation.
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