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Americans use cellphones while driving more than other countries

By Brown Moore

March 15, 2013

Home News & Resources Americans use cellphones while driving more than other countries

Distracted driving continues to be a threat on U.S. roads. Roughly 69 percent of Americans admitted to talking on their cellphone while driving during the last month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What’s worse is that new research has shown that distracted driving is a much bigger threat in the U.S. than in Europe. While the U.S. reported almost 70 percent of Americans use their cellphones, only 21 percent of drivers in Britain said they used their cellphones while driving. Drivers in Germany and France reportedly used their cellphones while driving roughly 40 percent of the time. Distracted driving has become a very dangerous driving behavior and has contributed to many car accidents every year in the U.S.

Safety groups are concerned with the impact cellphone use has on drivers in the U.S. Distracted driving caused 3,331 fatalities in 2011, which was an increase from 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The CDC said that distracted driving continues to be a danger for all drivers in the U.S. and warned that driving and dialing or texting on a cellphone can cause serious or fatal accidents. The CDC said that drivers need to be aware of these dangers and pull over if they need to call or text someone.

The study shows that Americans are more likely to using their cellphone while driving but who exactly is the most likely to do this behavior while driving? The CDC said that younger drivers are more likely to use their cellphone while driving compared to middle-aged or elderly drivers.

The CDC this is concerning because younger drivers already have higher risks of being in fatal car accidents and cellphone use only increases the risk of being in an accident.

Source: NPR, “Americans More Distracted Behind The Wheel Than Europeans,” Rob Stein, March 14, 2013