Texting 'more dangerous than drink driving'

Texting whilst driving puts you more at risk than drink driving, according to the latest tests from the RAC.

In news that will come as no surprise to anyone that thinks about it, looking down at your text message means that you are not looking at the road.

And guess what? Not looking at the road means you could end up in a car crash and die.

Slow down

The reactions times of those that took part in tests on a driving simulator were found to be 'severely impaired' whilst overall driving performance also declined massively, according to testers Transport Research Laboratory.

Reaction times were down by 35 per cent, which is more than double the impact of being at the legal alcohol limit (12 per cent slower) and worse than driving whilst under the influence of cannabis (21 per cent slower).

"The participants in this study were almost unanimous in their view that drink-driving was the most dangerous action on the road, said RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister

"Yet this research clearly shows that a motorist who is texting is significantly more impaired."

Must stp txtng jst crashed car

"When texting, drivers are distracted by taking their hand off the wheel to use their phone, by trying to read small text on the phone display, and by thinking about how to write their message," added TRL's Dr Nick Reed.

"This combination of factors resulted in the impairments to reaction time and vehicle control that place the driver at a greater risk than having consumed alcohol to the legal limit for driving."