This isn't the first time I've mentioned driving while texting in this blog.

Which is worse: texting & driving or drinking & driving?

A few weeks ago, after a MARTA driver was photographed texting when he was supposed to be driving a train, I mused on how officers of the law would catch drivers who texted while driving. According to Car & Driver, it will be easy: follow the accidents. Car & Driver did real road tests to see how texting affected driver's reaction times. Then they compared these results to drivers who were legally drunk-- Blood Alcohol Content of 0.08%. To nobody's surprise, they discovered that, yes, texting while driving does indeed affect the driver's reaction time. But what boggles my mind, texting drivers reacted much worse that drunk drivers. The results they recorded are:

* Unimpaired: .54 seconds to brake
* Legally drunk: add 4 feet
* Reading e-mail: add 36 feet
* Sending a text: add 70 feet

Now, Car & Driver is quick to point out that the drunk driving results look OK only in comparison to the texting results. It's still a terrible idea to drive after drinking too much. They also claim that "socially" drunk driving is a terrible idea. So does this mean socially, texting while driving is just fine?? When will other dangerous driving practices become as "socially" unacceptable as drunk driving? Perhaps when the MADAT (Moms Against Driving And Texting, a so-far mythical group) lobby is fully-funded.

Atlanta DUI Lawyers Clark & Towne

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