A recent experiment by Car and Driver found that driver reaction times while texting and driving are worse than drinking and driving.
The experiments involved having a driver brake at both 35 mph and 70 mph when they saw a red light illuminate on the windshield, designed to represent brake lights of a car ahead of them. The drivers were then instructed to read a text and type a text while driving.
At 35 mph, Driver #1, a 22-year-old male, stopped four feet later than seeing the light while typing a text. He stopped six feet later while reading one. Had this situation occurred on anything but a closed course, Driver #1 surely would have rear ended someone.
The article also pointed out that the closed course was a straight track that was free from road signals, traffic, pedestrians, and other distractions or hazards in the road.
Read our next blog on texting and driving to find out what Driver #1's results were during the second part of the experiment when he was instructed to drive on the closed course while intoxicated.
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