Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/03/us_drivers_surfing/
Surfing while driving – that's multitasking
If you can read this you should be looking at the road
Posted in Mobile, 3rd March 2011 10:59 GMT
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One in five Americans with a smartphone admits to using the internet while driving, with social networking ranking as one of the most popular distractions that's taking eyes off the road.
The survey was carried out by US insurance company State Farm, which obviously has a vested interested in knowing who is paying attention when behind the wheel. The company asked just shy of 1,000 [1] smartphone-owning drivers what they spend their time doing, and while some of the 19 per cent were looking for directions, others were reading email, searching on topics of immediate interested or updating their social-networking status.
It is really surprising that anyone has time to talk, or text, while driving anymore – which makes rather a mockery of all those states that specifically banned texting while driving.
But there's no reason to panic, most of those surveyed by State Farm said they only use the internet when at a red light, or stuck in traffic, or moving really slowly, or bowling along the interstate on a long and boring drive – so nothing to worry about really.
It makes cars driven by Google [2] seem a whole lot safer. ®