The City Beat usually doesn’t have the time to attend the Grand Forks Youth Commission, but I probably should’ve gone this week. There was an interesting survey done by some Central High School students in DECAÂ that shows some interesting, though probably not very surprising facts about area teens and what they think about texting and driving.
DECA presented its findings to the Youth Commission, prompting the middle and high schoolers on that made up the commission to agree to do fight public perception about the practice. I think I could sum up the perception found in the survey: “Texting and driving is dangerous, but not if I do it.”
One caveat about this survey, which I got from City Hall rather than DECA, and I couldn’t get ahold of the DECA advisor today. It doesn’t claim that it’s a scientific survey of area teens and doesn’t have a margin of error. What it does claim is it included 487 students, 14 and older, and I think that’s a pretty significant number.
So here’s what the survey says (First number is percentage of total, second number is total respondents.):
1. What is your gender?
- Male: 48.3% / 235
- Female: 51.7% / 252
2. What is your age?
- 14: 10.5% /Â 51
- 15: 24.4% / 119
- 16: 25.5% /Â 124
- 17: 22.2% /Â 108
- 18:Â 4.3% /Â 21
- 19 and over: 13.1% /Â 64
3. Do you have a license? If no go to question 10.
- Yes: 71.5% / 348
- No: 28.5% / 139
4. Do you have a cell phone? If no, go to question 10.
- Yes: 92.4% / 450
- No: 7.6% / 37
5. What type of phone do you have?
- Touch Screen: 16.7% / 69
- Keypad: 62.8% / 260
- Both: 20.5% / 85
6. Can you easily text without looking at your phone?
- Yes: 59.9% / 248
- No: 40.1% / 166
7. Have you ever TWD (texted while driving)?
- Yes: 73.3% / 302
- No: 26.7% / 110
8. How often do you TWD?
- always: 10.0% / 41
- most of the time: 13.1% / 54
- sometimes: 26.0% / 107
- rarely: 28.2% / 116
- never: 22.8% / 94
9. How likely are you to talk on the phone when driving?
- always: 8.4% / 34
- most the time: 13.3% / 54
- sometimes: 44.1% / 179
- rarely: 23.9% / 97
- never: 10.3% / 42
10. Have you ever been in an accident while the driver has been TWD?
- Yes: 3.9% / 19
- Almost: 11.1% / 54
- No: 84.9% / 412
11. Do you know someone who has been in an accident because of TWD?
- Yes: 33.7% / 164
- No: 66.3% / 323
12. Which do you believe is more distracting while driving…
- Talking on the phone: 4.9% / 24
- Texting: 58.1% / 283
- Both are equally distracting: 24.6% / 120
- I believe neither are distracting: 12.3% / 60
13. What would help you prevent TWD? (select all the [sic] apply)
- in-school education: 7.0% / 34
- community awareness: 9.7% / 47
- driver’s permit handbook: 7.2% / 35
- radio station broadcasts: 10.7% / 52
- make it illegal: 26.1% / 127
- all the above 39.4% / 192
14. How would you rate the following distractions while driving?
 Not dangerous at all Least dangerous Somewhat dangerous Most dangerous eat 15.4% /75 31.9% / 155 46.1% / 224 6.6% / 32 change clothes 6.6% / 32 3.7% / 18 24.5% / 119 65.2% / 316 put on make-up 8.1% / 39 5.2% / 25 38.1% / 184 48.7% / 235 read 6.8% / 33 3.3% / 16 22.1% / 107 67.8% / 328 take photos 8.5% / 41 14.7% / 71 37.9% / 183 38.9% / 188 play video games 6.6% / 32 3.1% / 15 19.5% / 94 70.7% / 341 on facebook 8.9% / 43 7.9% / 38 27.7% / 134 55.6% / 269 texting 8.8% / 42 12.2% / 58 31.9% / 152 47.2% / 225 15. When you hear statistics about TWD, do they change your habits or the way you drive?
- Yes: 47.4% / 231
- No: 52.6% / 256
16. Do you think TWD should be illegal?
- Yes: 57.7% / 281
- No: 42.3% / 206
17. Do you still plan to text and drive, now that it’s illegal in Grand Forks?
- Yes: 42.7% / 208
- No: 57.3% / 279
It’s kind of funny to see so many contradictions in there, which, I think is typical of public opinion in general, not just teens. Is texting and driving dangerous? Yes. What would reduce texting and driving? Making it illegal. Should it be made illegal? Yes. Would it stop you from texting and driving? No.
Obviously, it’s not just teens doing this. We don’t have stats for Grand Forks, but just looking around and looking at national stats suggest their parents are just as guilty.
Here’s the national survey I leaned on:
One in four (27%) American adults say they have texted while driving, the same proportion as the number of driving age teens (26%) who say they have texted while driving….
Beyond driving, one in six (17%) cell-toting adults say they have been so distracted while talking or texting that they have physically bumped into another person or an object. That amounts to 14% of all American adults who have been so engrossed in talking, texting or otherwise using their cell phones that they bumped into something or someone.
On the other hand, the question is how often do teens and adults text and drive? I suspect that adults may text once in a while, but teens do it a lot more. No data to suggest that, but if you look at the volume of text traffic, it’s the teens that are doing most of it.
Shouldn’t question 4 have had only 348 total responses? And then questions 5 thru 9 should have had approximately 322 total responses (if the averages held (92.4% having cell phones))?
What’s startling to me is that so many kids weren’t able to follow directions on this simple survey.