Texting on a mobile phone while driving is more dangerous than driving while drinking or under the influence of drugs, according to a study published today.
The study carried out for the RAC Foundation in the UK used a driving simulator to research the effects of writing, reading and ignoring text messages on the driving skills of a test group of 17 - 24 year-old motorists.
Reaction times deteriorated by over one-third (35 per cent), compared to the effect of drinking alcohol at the legal limit, when reaction times were 12 per cent slower. Driving under the influence of cannabis produced 21 per cent slower reaction times.
Steering control was 91 per cent worse when texting behind the wheel, compared to 35 per cent worse when under the influence of cannabis.
Participants were less able to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front, and also strayed out of lane position behind it, when distracted by texting, the study found.
Comparing the level of distraction caused by texting to previous studies into the effects of drugs, alcohol (at the legal limit) and speaking on a mobile, the report concludes that texting had the greatest impact on lane positioning; and the second greatest impact on reaction times, second only to using a hand-held phone.
"The combination of increased mental workload required to write a text message, the control impairment caused by the physical act of holding the phone, and the visual impairment caused by continually shifting visual orientation between the phone display and the road ahead resulted in significantly impaired ability to maintain safe road position,” the study conducted by TRL concluded.
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