Many millennials in Kentucky have all but grown up with electronics in the palm of their hands. Over the past couple of decades, everything from cell phones to tablets and more have become ubiquitous in modern society. While these gadgets have and can provide many benefits to people, they also have opened up new dangers, especially when they are used by people actively driving vehicles. Distracted driving may well be poised to become the new drunk driving.
Among teenage drivers, USA Today reported that distracted driving accounts for a whopping 58% of accidents. For drivers between the ages of 18 and 34, a deep compulsion to answer messages or calls while driving was reported in a survey by 37% of drivers. Much of this compulsion comes from their desire to stay engaged with their jobs, answering messages from their bosses or colleagues. The desire to do well at work might just be contributing to accidents, injuries and deaths.
For drivers outside of this age range, one out of every four survey respondents indicated it was hard to avoid responding to or checking incoming messages while behind the wheel. The data has led some people to encourage more companies to reiterate the importance of safety while driving to their employees and encouraging employees to wait until they are finished driving before checking messages.
Texting and taking photos were the two activities most commonly engaged in by drivers who participated in the study. One out of every three women in the survey admitted to taking pictures while driving.