But consider this: A 2006 study found that 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near crashes are caused by distractions -- things like putting on makeup and eating.
And in another survey, in May by Vlingo Corp., a company that develops speech-recognition technology for mobile phones, more than 26 percent of 4,800 cellphone users across the United States admitted they had sent text messages while driving.
I'll save you the moment spent on math: That's 1,248 out of 4,800 people.
And yet another study, conducted in 2006 by Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety and Students Against Destructive Decisions, lists texting as the No. 1 driving distraction according to teens.
It's clear that texting is a problem. So much so that, 17 states and the District of Columbia now ban the practice for all drivers. But if that's not enough evidence for you, take a look at this video:
It's a collaboration between The Gwent Police Department in Croesyceiliog, Wales and Tredegar Comprehensive School, in Blaenau-Gwent, South Wales.
For anyone not aware, Wales is a country with 3 million people that sits just east of England.
Three girls are shown in a car -- one of them text messaging -- just before what can only be described as a horrific crash. It's a graphic illustration of the potential consequences posed by texting and driving.
The Gwent Police Website say this is part a half-hour program; a sequel to a 1995 video on the dangers of joyriding.
it's all about Cassie Cowan – a nice girl from a nice Gwent valleys family – who kills four people on the road because she used her mobile and lost her concentration for a few seconds.
The clip is from a film called, "COW - The film that will stop you txting and driving," was uploaded onto the video sharing website in June and features local actors. It currently has over 200,000 hits.
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