Survey: 19% of Drivers Use the Internet While They Drive

We’ve already reported countless times about the dangers of talking/texting while driving. But with some 40% of all Americans owning a smartphone — capable of surfing the web and accessing email — here’s a new alarming statistic: Nineteen percent of drivers use the internet while driving, according to a survey by State Farm.

The top five activities involving in-car web surfing, in order, are finding and reading directions, reading email, looking up general information, engaging in social media and composing/sending email. State Farm, the nation’s largest car insurer, points out that most of the 900-plus respondents said they engage in these activities when stopped at a traffic light or in heavy stop-and-go traffic.

State Farm makes no specific claim that internet use while driving increases the chance of an accident, but with evidence correlating phone use to an increased risk of an accident, it’s an area of concern.

State Farm says it will conduct a more in-depth analysis involving internet usage soon.

source :  http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2011/03/survey-19-of-drivers-use-the-internet-while-they-drive.html