Texting while driving on the rise among teenagers

Texting while driving appears to be on the rise among American teenagers, and that’s news that has parents and officials worried. According to a just-released study, forty-three percent of high-school age American’s admit to texting while driving, ignoring the risks associated with the dangerous habit. Research has shown that texting while behind the wheel makes you 23 times more likely to crash. Experts add that tapping the keys while operating a motor vehicle is more dangerous than driving drunk. The new study was conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and analyzed data from around 7,800 high school students. Males have the lead over females, 46% – 40%, in being most likely to practice the habit. And, the likelihood increases with age. The majority of those who admitted to texting while driving were students over age 18.  The CDC hopes that the study will generate more talk among parents and teens about the dangers of texting and driving during this prom season, when friends on the road are texting details of after prom parties, meeting places and general prom gossip to one another.