Considering how dangerous it is to text and drive, these statistics are alarming. Talk to your teen about this issue when they start driving – AND set a good example by never texting while driving yourself. – Roxanne
One-third of U.S. teens report texting while driving: CDC
By David Beasley
ATLANTA | Thu Jun 7, 2012 6:15pm EDT
(Reuters) – A new federal study shows dramatic improvement in the driving habits of U.S. high school students, but texting by teenagers behind the wheel is a concern, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.
One in three high school students reported they had texted or emailed while driving during the previous 30 days, according to the centers’ 2011 youth risk behavior survey of 15,000 high school students.
The percentage of those who had texted or emailed while driving was higher for upper classmen, with nearly 43 percent of 11th graders and 58 percent of 12th graders saying they had done so in the past month. This is the first time texting questions were included in this survey.
“Texting or emailing while driving a car can have deadly consequences,” said Howell Wechsler, director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health.
Read the rest: One-third of U.S. teens report texting while driving: CDC | Reuters.