By now we have all seen the electronic traffic message signs telling us that there is a new law in Rhode Island banning texting while driving. It is true that Rhode Island has joined the growing number of States to make illegal this dangerous activity.
One might ask, how dangerous is texting while driving? It turns out, according to a Car & Driver report, that it may be more dangerous than drunk driving.
In a safe test environment they tested the reaction and stopping times of individuals who were texting, emailing, or legally drunk (over .08). The results were startling.
- an unimpaired driver: .54 seconds to brake
- legally drunk : an additional 4 feet
- reading email: an additional 36 feet
- sending a text: an additional 70 feet
So the results suggest that a person distracted by their cell phone is even more dangerous than a mildly drunk driver.