The United States leaves other countries far behind when it comes to the use of mobile devices behind the wheel. According to a new study which compared cell phone use while driving in the United States with similar practices in several European countries, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain, cell phone use while driving is a much more widely prevalent practice in this country, than in others.
Researchers from the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention conducted an analysis of several surveys, and found that approximately 59% of American drivers between the age of 18 and 62, used their cell phones to have conversations while driving within the 30 days before the study. In the United Kingdom, that rate was just 21%. Approximately 31% of drivers in the United States admitted to texting while driving or sending e-mails while driving in the 30 days before the study, while in Spain, those rates were just 15%.
There does not seem to be any significant differences between male drivers and female drivers when it comes to cell phone use while driving and texting or e-mailing. However, having conversations on the cell phone while driving was more prevalent in young men and women between the ages of 25 and 44, compared to those between 55 and 64. Also, a much higher percentage of men and women between 18 and 34 years of age reported recently reading or sending texts and e-mails while driving, compared to drivers aged 45 to 64.
As the results of the study indicate to Missouri car accident lawyers, we still have a long way to go in educating motorists about how dangerous these practices are.
