Not surprisingly, a recent study, done at the University of Utah, determined that texting while driving, not only increases the risk of having a car accident, but is significantly more dangerous than talking on a cell phone while driving.
The study determined that texting drivers were less likely to apply their brakes in a timely manner to avoid a car accident, that they followed other vehicles too closely and demonstrated significantly delayed reaction times. Further, the researchers determined that texting drivers were 6 times more likely to be in a car accident, as compared to drivers who were concentrating on driving.
The study found that texting to be more dangerous than simply talking on a cell phone, determining that drivers can better split their attention between a call and driving, rather than texting, which causes the driver to concentrate more upon typing or reading a message. This research, from the journal Human Factors, ultimately determined that drivers increased their risk of being in a car accident by thirty percent when texting.