Note to self: Don't text while driving. Not only is it illegal to send a text message while behind the wheel in Washington state, but new research from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute indicates that drivers who text are 23 times more likely to get in a car crash.
The New York Times quotes one of the authors of the study who says that “texting is in its own universe of risk” when compared to other distractions in the car. The author went on to say that drivers should never text while they drive and the activity should be illegal.
The New York Times report is part of a larger investigation into the risks of using the cell phone while driving a car -- something that should be of interest to a number of Seattle area companies (Microsoft, Airbiquity, Jott) which are working to resolve the problem with enhanced navigation systems and voice-to-text technologies.
And, if you want more evidence that you shouldn't text and drive at the same time, check out this interactive game from The Times which asks a driver to respond to a text message while cruising along. (I tried it with very little success.)
[Flickr photo via IntangibleArts]
READ MORE and COMMENT
No comments:
Post a Comment