Are you one of the drivers that always wants to text another person while behind the wheel of your used cars? If so, you are being more careless than if you were drinking alcohol while driving. That finding is the result of a recent study conducted by Car and Driver magazine.
The editor and chief of Car and Driver – Eddie Alterman – set up the study which also included the publication’s intern – Jordan Brown. Both of them took turns driving a car on a test track. A red light was installed on the dashboard in the car and when the light flashed, they either had to read an incoming text message on their phone or send one out. They were instructed to operate their phone the same way they would if they were in normal circumstances.
In addition to that, both drivers drank alcohol until their blood-alcohol level reached the legal limit. They then had to repeat their driving around the track to see how well they did.
The results showed that the drivers had a slower reaction time when texting than when they were intoxicated. You can read more specifics of the study here or in the next issue of Car and Driver.
This just goes to show that texting and driving do not mix. Stay safe in your new or used cars by being alert, putting down the phone and keeping your eyes on the road where they belong so we can all enjoy the roads.