Texting worse than drinking while driving

Drivers wielding their mobile phones while at the wheel pose a greater risk to pedestrians and other drivers than those who’ve hit the bottle before getting behind the wheel, according to research published today.

Steering control while texting is almost non existent (at 91 per cent worse than normal) and much more dangerous than even those trying to remain in control after smoking cannabis (35 per cent worse), found the RAC Foundation-commissioned study carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL).

Reaction speeds by those who text and drive were also found to be more than a third (35 per cent) slower than normal, compared to those who’ve indulged in weed or the legal level of alcohol (21 and 12 per cent respectively), according to the study.

Analysing a group of 17 to 24-year-olds using a driving simulator, the research also found that motorists texting drifted out of their lanes more often than others and had difficulty maintaining a safe following distance.

"This research demonstrates how dangerous it is to drive and text. When texting, drivers are distracted by taking their hand off the wheel to use their phone, by trying to read small text on the phone display, and by thinking about how to write their message,” said Dr Nick Reed, senior human factors researcher at TRL.

“This combination of factors resulted in the impairments to reaction time and vehicle control that place the driver at a greater risk than having consumed alcohol to the legal limit for driving."

Given the dangers exposed by the study, the RAC Foundation is lobbying for the creation of a high-profile educational awareness campaign to bring home the dangers of texting and driving to young people who’ve grown up surround by mobiles and SMS.

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, added: "The participants in this study were almost unanimous in their view that drink driving was the most dangerous action on the road. Yet this research clearly shows that a motorist who is texting is significantly more impaired than a motorist at the legal limit for alcohol. No responsible motorist would drink and drive. We need to ensure that text devotees understand that texting is one of the most hazardous things that can be done while in charge of a motor car."

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