To gauge the effect of texting while driving, Car and Driver magazine conducted road tests to determine just
how dangerous texting and driving can be.
In the Car and Driver video of the test, Editor-in-Chief Eddie Alterman, said, "While you're texting and driving, time disappears. You're concentrating so hard on what you are texting, you completely ignore what is happening in front of you...You shouldn't be doing anything as complicated as texting from behind the wheel."
The web Intern, said in the video, "It's more dangerous than people realize and more dangerous than drinking. I'm guilty of texting while driving. After seeing the results of this test, it makes me think twice about doing it in the future. I will come to a complete stop before I pull the phone out next time."
Previous academic studies have shown texting while driving using simulators impairs a driver's abilities. This was the first study in an acutal car. Car and Driver also compared
the results of texting to the effects of drunk driving, on the same day and under the exact same conditions.
The focus of the test was solely on the driver's reaction time. All of the driving was done in a straight line on
an 11,800-foot runway. Given the prevalence of the BlackBerry, the iPhone, and other text-friendly mobile phones, the test
subjects had devices with full QWERTY keypads and were familiar with text messaging. A web intern 22, armed with
an iPhone, represented the younger crowd. The older demographic was covered by Editor-in-Chief, Eddie Alterman, 37.
After conducting the texting tests on both drivers at 35 mph and 70 mph, the test subjects then drank alcoholic cocktails
until they reached the legal driving limit of 0.08 percent blood-alcohol content. They then went back behind the wheel and
ran the identical test without any texting distractions.
The results showed even using a straight road without any traffic, road signals, or pedestrians, and looking just at
reaction times, the texting results were even worse than the negative impaired driving results.
Both socially and legally, drunk driving is completely unacceptable. Texting, on the other hand, is still in its formative
period with respect to laws and opinion. A few jurisdictions have passed ordinances against texting while driving. But even
if sweeping legislation were passed today to outlaw any typing behind the wheel, it would still be very difficult to enforce
the law.
As summarized by Alterman, "In our test, neither of us had any idea texting would slow down our reaction time so much.
Like most folks, we believe we are good drivers, but the real key to driving safely is keeping your eyes and your mind on
the road. Text messaging distracts any driver from those primary tasks."
Full test results can be read in this month's Car and Driver magazine, on newsstands today, or available online
at CarandDriver.com.
The article states because the resulting of the texting test were so horrednous it make the drinking results look good. No matter how you put texting and or drinking while driving is dangerous.