A new survey from AT&T found that most people still text while they drive, despite knowing the dangers of such an activity.
The survey included 1,004 U.S. adults between the ages of 16 and 65, 98 percent of whom said they were aware of the dangers of texting while driving, according to The Associated Press.
Texting while driving is banned in some states, but three quarters of the participants admitted they do it, two-thirds said they have read text messages while stopped a red light or stop sign, and over a quarter said they have sent texts while driving.
Multitasking was found to be a major reason, with over a quarter of the texting drivers said they "can easily do several things at once, even while driving."
AT&T started the survey with Dr. David Greenfield, founder of The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction and Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at The University of Connecticut School of Medicine, THV 11 reported. The research is part AT&T's Texting & Driving ... It Can Wait campaign, which is aimed at getting people to stop using their phones while driving to avoid deadly accidents.
"We compulsively check our phones because every time we get an update through text, email or social media, we experience an elevation of dopamine, which is a neurochemical in the brain that makes us feel happy," Greenfield said. "If that desire for a dopamine fix leads us to check our phones while we're driving, a simple text can turn deadly."
Several different reasons were found in the survey for why some people text and drive, such as "staying connected" to friends, family and work, as well as doing it out of habit, The Associated Press reported. Twenty eight percent said they do it because they are sometimes worried about missing out on something important, 14 percent said they feel "anxious" when they don't respond to a text right away, and 17 percent said reading or responding to texts gives them "a sense of satisfaction."
Over 25 percent believe texting doesn't affect their driving, while an equal amount of participants said they believe others expect them to text back "right away." There was also 6 percent that believed they are "addicted to texting."
One of the positive findings in the research was that those who are most likely to text and drive are expected to try to stop more often than those who don't, THV 11 reported. It was also found that 82 percent of people who actually stop engaging in the activity feel good about themselves.
AT&T is looking to solve this safety issue with its new DriveMode app, which marks the first time a major U.S. wireless carrier has offered a free no-texting-while-driving app. iPhone owners can download DriveMode now from the App Store.
