Kristi King, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – Teen drivers might think they’re invincible, but teen passengers apparently don’t.
Four out of five teen passengers say they’ve scolded a driver for texting. One out of three teen drivers admits to texting behind the wheel, according to a State Farm survey detailed in The Washington Post.
Numerous studies show that texting while driving can be as dangerous as drunken driving. Texting can make drivers 23 percent more likely to have an accident, according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
Car crashes also are the top killer of teens. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show wrecks are responsible for more than one- third of all teen deaths.
It’s against the law to text while driving in more than 30 states, including Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is among those pushing hard for a national ban.
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