You merge onto the highway for your morning commute, check your blind spot and signal like any considerate driver. A few minutes later, the car ahead drifts into the next lane, then jerks back. Everyone has an off moment that early in the day. But then the car slows down for no obvious reason. As you pass, you glance over and see the driver steering with one hand and typing on a phone with the other, at 60 miles per hour.
Most of us have seen something like this. Texting while driving is now illegal in Oklahoma, yet survey data from SimpleTexting suggests the problem isn’t going away. Nearly everyone says they disapprove of it, so who is actually doing it?
It’s not who you’d expect
Younger drivers usually get the blame for anything involving phones, but the survey found the opposite. Texting behind the wheel was least common among drivers under 24 and most common among drivers 65 and older. There’s no clear explanation, but the share of drivers who text while driving went up with age.
Offenders are rarely caught, and when they are, they often get off with a warning. According to the same survey, 90 percent of people who text and drive have never been pulled over for it. Laws against it exist, but they haven’t done much to stop the habit.
What can actually help
Nobody likes admitting they text and drive, because it’s completely preventable. Still, with close to half of drivers sending messages behind the wheel, real change has to come from habits. Tools can help: Apple’s “Do Not Disturb While Driving” mode silences notifications on the road, and Bluetooth voice commands keep your hands on the wheel.
So, Oklahoma: think twice before picking up your phone while you drive. Let’s keep our roads safe, OK?
Hurt by a distracted driver? The auto injury doctors at Accident Care and Treatment Center in Oklahoma City have the on-site imaging and experience to care for you through every step of recovery. Call (405) 842-3209 or visit AccidentCare.com.