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Driving and Texting

Have you ever sent or read a text message while driving?  A new Harris poll says 91 percent of people surveyed think it's dangerous and should be against the law.
by Brian Mooar
NBC News

Have you ever sent or read a text message while driving?

A new Harris poll says 91 percent of people surveyed think it's dangerous and should be against the law.

But how many do it anyway?

A new poll shows half of us admit to doing it anyway.

The survey suggests that men and women are both as likely to text while driving, but there's a huge age gap.

Among adults, 64 percent who admitted to doing it were between the ages of 18 and 34, while those ages 55 and over, just six percent.

The poll was commissioned by a company called Pinger which is hoping to overtake text messaging with a voice messaging service.

"It allows you to talk or to listen while you're in your car, a much safer alternative to texting while driving," said Pinger's Greg Woock

Verizon Wireless reported its customers sent and received a record ten billion text messages during the month of June.

That same month five teenagers were killed in a head-on collision near Rochester, New York.

Investigators say the 17-year-old driver's phone was used to send and receive text messages in the moments before the crash.

"Don't do it. It's extremely dangerous to use your cell phone or to text message while driving. People need to remember that driving is a complex task and they need to focus solely on the driving task," warned Barbara Harsha of the Governors Highway Safety Association.

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