The majority of campaigns regarding texting while driving have been aimed at younger drivers and teenagers.
Texting while driving is prevalent among teen drivers and is considered a dangerous driving behavior that often leads to devastating personal injuries. However, current research discovered that it may be more difficult to text and drive for those middle aged and older.
A recent study conducted at Wayne State University tested volunteer drivers ages 18 through 59 on their abilities to properly operate a vehicle while sending text messages. Participants drove in a four-door simulated automobile on a virtual two lane country road without any oncoming cars. Participants were asked to drive for 30 minutes at speeds of approximately 50 to 60 miles per hour while taking part in text conversations.
Twenty-seven participants had the highest texting skill level with the ability to text with one hand. Sixteen volunteers required two hands to text, but were considered a “good” skill level. The remaining seven had to hunt and peck with one finger in order to text and were considered the lowest skill level of all volunteers. There were no differences between genders.
A reasonable assumption may be that the older drivers have more experience driving and would fare better than the other age groups. However, researchers found that the youngest group, ages 18-24, drove into oncoming lanes or on the shoulder of the road only 25% of the time. The oldest group, comprised of drivers ages 45-59, committed misses 100% of the time. The middle group, ages 35-44, missed 80% of the time, followed by the next youngest group, ages 25-34 having missed 40% of their driving time. Researchers were left to conclude that as an individual’s age increases, so do the amount of driving mistakes committed when distracted.
Researchers want to be clear that they are not advocating that texting and driving is an acceptable driving behavior for any age. The research was done to study the comparison of older and younger age groups and their ability to multi-task while driving. The middle aged population is continually connected on their mobile devices checking email and the latest happenings on Facebook. An increased amount of drivers beyond their teenage years are texting and driving, which creates a greater amount of distracted drivers on the roadways. Tasks such as texting, putting in a CD, or typing information into a GPS distract drivers from focusing on the road, often resulting in serious car accident injuries due to distracted driving.
