Commute Alert: Majority of Drivers Still Doing Insanely Dangerous Things Behind the Wheel
This isn't the first time we've gotten an inkling that people are not as attentive as they should be while driving to and from work. A while back, for example, we showed you how you can play a game to vividly experience how texting dramatically dulls your driving reflexes.
But a new study from Bluetooth headset maker Jabra shows that no one appears to care: an astounding number of people continue to do reckless things on the road.
Here are some of Jabra's findings:
- The majority (72%) admitted to frequently eating while driving
- 29% kiss others while driving, while 15% said they've performed sexual acts while driving
- 28% text while driving
- 25% change clothes while driving, while 5% have shaved while behind the wheel
- 25% style their hair
- 13% apply makeup
- 10% reported reading newspapers or magazines while driving
- 12% write or read emails while driving
On the other hand, I should point out that I'm no fan of government nannyism, especially when it arbitrarily targets only certain aspects of distracted driving. We already know that cell phone bans have no effect on the accident rate, and yet legislators are falling over themselves to pass stupid laws about cell phones while it's still perfectly acceptable (apparently) to eat a plate of ribs while motoring on down the interstate.
Photo by Robbie Howell
