Image SourceTexting and driving might not appear to be a serious crime when compared to gun violence, drugs or organized gang wars. However, given the general apathy towards the rising menace and the sheer disregard to basic safety protocols, the problem has escalated to dangerous levels without raising any alarms. Here are just a few reasons that a survey by SMS marketing company Simple Texting discovered; which proves the menace won't go away anytime soon unless there are fundamental changes.
Almost half of the drivers blatantly ignore the no-texting laws:
While specific laws have been enacted to prevent and penalize the drivers who engage in texting and driving, almost half of the drivers blatantly ignore these rules and casually engage in the dangerous habit. According to the report by Simple Texting, about 43 percent of the drivers shared they do not care for the laws.
The laws are seldom imposed, while perpetrators are rarely caught:
Laws to prevent texting and driving have been made stricter and the fines, if caught, are supposed to dissuade errant drivers. However, the legislature appears to be relegated to the law books and the conditions on the road do not reflect the urgency required to tackle the menace. According to the research conducted by Simple Texting, only 1 in 13 drivers is usually pulled over for violating the laws.
Statistically speaking, over 90 percent of people who were texting and driving aren't pulled over or caught. Such poor numbers merely serve to embolden drivers and encourage them to continue breaking the law since there's hardly any action against them. Even if some are pulled over, there is a high chance he or she will be let off with just a warning or a citation.
The problem worsens with age:
One of the most shocking revelations the study made was that it isn't the teens who are the biggest law-breakers. While one would assume that it is young adults who indulge in texting and driving primarily because the phenomenon has been observed in the past few years, and cell phones and texting wasn't truly common until the 21st century. However, the study discovered that the problem aggravates as the age advances.
Surprisingly, of the people surveyed, the adolescent teens in the age bracket of 18-24 comprised the smallest group of law-breakers. Meanwhile, those over the age of 65 were found to be the worst offenders. It is not clear why exactly those who were assumed to have the highest sense of responsibility accorded by age, totally disregard the safety rules formed to protect them and those around them.
Drivers are casual and dishonest about their bad habits:
Despite the fact that lawbreakers are seldom arrested or fined, drivers who text and drive, rarely admit about their potentially dangerous indulgence. Almost half of the drivers who claimed they rarely text while driving, turned out to be the worst offenders, while those who admitted they sometimes break the law, were found to be a smaller threat on the road.
Drivers ignore or even reject technology in their car that allows them to multi-task:
Realizing their products aren't being used with utmost precaution and attention, car manufacturers do incorporate technologies that allow drivers to use their phones while on the road.
While the hands-free technology is supposed to allow the drivers to pay attention to the road and traffic while driving, almost half of the drivers admitted they have never bothered to connect their phones to the hands-free technology in their vehicles. The majority of the drivers appear to forgo the facility and instead choose to hold their phones and use them while driving.