In a poll carried out by Harris Interactive and State Farm Insurance, 57% of teens surveyed admitted that they sometimes send text messages while driving. Surprisingly, in the same survey, 63% of teens said that texting and driving is likely to cause an accident, while 83% agreed that drinking and driving is likely to cause an accident. These numbers from the 2012 survey are very similar to the results of the 2010 survey, which may indicate that communication about the real dangers of texting and driving has been largely ineffective. In the past two years, many academic studies have concluded that texting and driving is statistically just as dangerous as drinking and driving. But the survey responses indicate that teens still see texting and driving as slightly less dangerous than drinking and driving.
The poll also found that 46% of parents and teens talk about driving quite a bit before teen drivers get their license, but this communication decreases by almost 50% once teens have their license. This decline in communication is a cause for concern, because statistics show that new drivers have the highest likelihood of accidents during their first year of independent driving. Parents and teens are encouraged to maintain a dialog about safe driving and how to avoid driving while distracted.
The survey polled more than 650 U.S. teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17. 55% teen respondents currently had drivers license and the other 45% either have a learning permit or intend to get one as soon as they are able.