The results of the Vlingo Consumer Mobile Messaging Habits Report are down right dangerous.
Despite Driving While Texting (DWT) bans in seven states and the District of Columbia as well as reports of accidents caused by DWT, 26% of mobile phone users continue to text behind the wheel.
Drivers in Tennessee are the worst offenders, with the highest percentage of respondents(42%) who admit to DWT, while Arizona has the lowest percentage (18.8%).
The Vlingo Report also reveals that text messaging has grown steadily over the past 12 months across all age groups, with nearly 60% of mobile phone users now texting, compared to 54% in 2008.
The Vlingo Consumer Mobile Messaging Habits Report is based on a
survey of nearly 5,000 U.S. consumers and was fielded by independent panel research
firm Toluna.
Driving while texting remains steady, consumers agree on need for legislation
One in four of all mobile phone users admit to DWT and it occurs in all age groups.
Almost 60% of those ages 16 to 19 admit to DWT and 49% of those 20 to 29 admit to
DWT. The percentages get smaller for older respondents, but usage remains high with
13% of those in their 50s admitting to doing so.
Among survey respondents there is general consensus that DWT should be legally
banned. Slightly more than 83% of respondents think DWT should be illegal, while
only 7% think DWT should be legal, and 10% are undecided. However, with more safety
precautions such as hands-free solutions that enable consumers to text without
typing, 40% of respondents favor making DWT legal. Additionally, nearly 70% would
use voice recognition technology while driving instead of typing if they could speak
text or email messages and have incoming messages read to them.
As of May 2009, only seven states and the District of Columbia have laws completely
prohibiting any person from sending text messages while operating a vehicle.
However, whether a state has a law banning DWT does not seem to correlate to less
DWT activity. Two of the top five worst offenders (TN, NJ, AL, ID, OK) have some form of
DWT/mobile phone ban in place or pending (one of which is focused solely on young
drivers).
Of the five states with the best records (AZ, VT, RI, OH, MI), only Rhode
Island has a ban on DWT and it only applies to those under the age of 18.
"In just one year, the public conversation about the issue of DWT has escalated,
particularly in the wake of some high-profile accidents," said Dave Grannan, CEO of
Vlingo. "Texting is such an integral component of our daily lives, and the
cautionary tales about DWT danger have not stemmed the tide. We predicted last year
that this problem would get worse, and it has since more people are texting. The
good news is that many state legislatures are starting to take up this issue, and
today more advanced technologies exist that can increase safety on the roads."
Texting on the rise
This year, nearly 60% of mobile phone owners use their phones to text:
In 2008, teens and twenty-somethings were by far the largest users of texting,
coming in at 85%. In 2009, this continued to be true with teens at 94% and
20-somethings at 87%, but usage also increased for older age groups. Among those in
their 40s, usage jumped from 56% to 64%, and for those in their 50s it jumped from
38% to 46%.
Texting is also gaining on sending/receiving calls as the primary use of mobile
phones, with 35% of all respondents using their phones for texting more than for
phone calls. Almost half of respondents do both in equal numbers.
The volume of text messages has gone up as well across all age groups, although
the 13 to 19 age group remains the most active, sending more than 500 texts per
month on average.
High costs, tiny keypads holding back usage
Despite the popularity of mobile data services, of those surveyed, 41% do not text,
70% do not browse the Web, and 73% do not use email on their mobile phones. With 86%
of respondents paying their mobile phone bills themselves, a significant percentage
cite cost as a barrier to adoption for data services (44% for cite cost as a barrier
to adopting text messaging, 59% for Web Browsing, and 53% for mobile email). Among
those who do not text message, 27% cite the difficulty of typing on a tiny keyboard
as a barrier, while 37% say it takes too much time to type. However, usability
enhancements such as voice enablement would increase usage - 74% report that they
would use voice enablement as a way to make text messaging easier.
Methodology
The Vlingo Consumer Mobile Messaging Habits Report was fielded by independent panel
research firm Toluna and responses were generated from a survey among 4,816 online
opinion panel members (age 13 or older) living in the continental United States. The
sample was matched to U.S. Census proportions on gender, age and ethnicity and
included approximately 100 respondents from each of the 48 contiguous U.S. states.
Respondents were also screened for mobile phone ownership and usage. The survey
bears a statistical accuracy of +/- 1.41% for the total sample at the 95% confidence
level.