Most college students text while driving despite danger: study

Wilkes-Barre, PA – A study from the McGowan School of Business at King’s College concluded that roughly 4 out of 5 college students read or sent texts while driving “at least sometimes,” despite the majority believing it is a risky behavior.

Researchers surveyed 120 college students about their texting behaviors in general and their beliefs about the dangers of texting while driving. They found that students who feel more compelled to be connected to others tend to text more frequently in general during their daily lives. When determining whether impulsive texters also text while driving more often, the researchers found this to be the case for male respondents more than for female respondents, despite both genders having similar beliefs about the behavior being unsafe. Researchers attributed this to more male respondents believing they are better drivers than others and thus less likely to crash while texting.

The study authors suggested further research on the effectiveness of education campaigns on the dangers of distracted driving on different groups of people.

The study was published online Sept. 16 in the International Journal of Sustainable Strategic Management.