Teens still texting while driving, despite public education efforts

A gruesome British public service video that portrays a fatal accident caused by a texting teenage driver has been the talk of Facebook and other places where young Americans congregate, but a new study suggests it hasn't done much to change their habits. A quarter of U.S. teens say they text while driving, and almost half say they've been in cars with someone who sent text messages while behind the wheel. They say their parents are texting fanatics, too. The findings come from a phone survey and focus groups that the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project released Monday. "The percentages of drivers who report texting while driving is extremely disturbing given the severe safety hazards this behavior causes," said Capt. Susan Culin, commander of the Fairfax County police traffic division. "However, the percentage of teen drivers that report texting while driving is even more frightening due to their inexperience."