29% of Young Drivers Say They Text While Driving

Almost half of U.S. drivers aged 16-21 agree that texting or using smart-phone apps, e-mail or social media while driving is very dangerous, according to a survey by Consumer Reports.

Yet 29% of those drivers admit to texting while behind the wheel during the previous month, the magazine says.

Almost two-thirds of motorists in that age group agree that making a call on a handheld phone is hazardous while driving but 47% say they had done so anyway within the past 30 days.

CR notes that parents don't always set a good example. Nearly half the young drivers surveyed say they have seen their mother or father talking on a handheld phone while driving, and 15% reported parental texting behind the wheel.

Younger drivers say they are less likely to engage in such behaviors when they have friends as passengers, in part because of peer pressure. Almost half say they had asked a driver to stop using a handheld phone.

Polled drivers who avoid distracted-driving behavior say they do so because of the danger (61%), local ordinances (40%), family pressure (28%) and knowing a person who was in a crash caused by distracted driving (20%).

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 9% of highway deaths in 2010 3,100 people occurred in crashes that involved distracted driving. The agency says that drivers aged 18-20 had the highest rate of crashes or near-crashes related to phone use.