LANSING (WKZO-AM) — A newly-released survey commissioned by the Michigan State Police shows that nearly one in five Michigan drivers consider themselves addicted to their cell phones.
Forty-one percent admit they text while driving on a regular basis and 26 pecent say they do it daily, even though it’s a civil violation in Michigan. The poll conducted by the Glengariff Group sampled 400 young adults in their 20s and 30s.
Michael L. Prince with the office of safety planning says respondents were asked about their driving habits, Michigan’s texting law and cell phone use while driving.
“While drivers are aware of the hazards associated with texting and driving, they have an overwhelming desire to remain connected with others no matter what the risk,” Prince said. “There is an intense need to stay in touch with friends and family around the clock and those emotions are a key factor as traffic safety advocates confront the growing problem of distracted driving.”
Statistics on the causes of fatal crashes are notoriously unreliable when it comes to cell phone use, but the numbers they do have show the number of distracted driving fatalities growing each of the last three years.
