A poll commissioned by InsuranceQuotes.com indicates that well-educated American drivers are the more likely to talk on the phone while at the wheel, more than any other motorists. As a result they are more likely to get a ticket or get involved in major accidents.
The pole was conducted by GfK Roper, a division of GfK Custom Research North America, and shows just how common distracted driving has become. A total of 93 percent of all US drivers admit to using their phones while driving, whether by texting or by talking on a cell phone.
As a result of all those distractions, 10 percent of motorists admit their being distracted has caused them to swerve into another lane, slam on the brakes, get a ticket, almost get into an accident, or experience a minor or major wreck. What’s most alarming is that the figure rises to 49 percent when drivers have a college degree and 43 percent for drivers who earn at least $75,000 a year.
"The InsuranceQuotes.com poll on distracted driving indicates that people who have brains and bucks are more likely to be the motorists you see who are eating, reading or even kissing behind the wheel. It appears that well-to-do, well-educated Americans are multitaskers at work, at home-and in the car," said John Egan, managing editor of Bankrate Insurance, which owns InsuranceQuotes.com.
Sixteen percent of fatal crashes in 2009 were attributed to distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. We can only expect the figures to get worse because of smart phones that have more applications.
The pole was conducted by GfK Roper, a division of GfK Custom Research North America, and shows just how common distracted driving has become. A total of 93 percent of all US drivers admit to using their phones while driving, whether by texting or by talking on a cell phone.
As a result of all those distractions, 10 percent of motorists admit their being distracted has caused them to swerve into another lane, slam on the brakes, get a ticket, almost get into an accident, or experience a minor or major wreck. What’s most alarming is that the figure rises to 49 percent when drivers have a college degree and 43 percent for drivers who earn at least $75,000 a year.
"The InsuranceQuotes.com poll on distracted driving indicates that people who have brains and bucks are more likely to be the motorists you see who are eating, reading or even kissing behind the wheel. It appears that well-to-do, well-educated Americans are multitaskers at work, at home-and in the car," said John Egan, managing editor of Bankrate Insurance, which owns InsuranceQuotes.com.
Sixteen percent of fatal crashes in 2009 were attributed to distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. We can only expect the figures to get worse because of smart phones that have more applications.