By Sean Powell
Jeff Duggan used to be like a large number of teenagers who admit to texting while driving. He was cruising down Interstate 93 and sending a text to his friend about plans for later that night.
“I was trying to text him directions,” Duggan said. “I had just gotten the street name to come out right when I felt a jolt and realized I had bumped into a car in the next lane.” Duggan said he grabbed the wheel and pulled to the left and he separated from the car without any damage.
“Aside from the paint scratch, which cost me some serious cash to fix before my dad saw, the car was fine. I got really lucky,” Duggan said.
According to a recent study, Duggan is not alone. Over one million vehicles on the road are being driven by someone using a hand-held phone at any given daylight moment according to the annually conducted 2007 National Occupant Protection Use Survey.
The study is conducted annually by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The survey also found that 1 percent of drivers 16 to 24 were visibly manipulating hand held devices and that 46 percent of teens admit to texting while driving.
A recent study by Nationwide Insurance found that 20 percent of drivers are texting while driving.
Stonehill College Police Chief Peter L. Carnes was Wenham’s Chief of Police from 1984 to 1995 and served as Yarmouth’s Chief of Police from 1995 to his retirement in 2007 when he came to be Chief of Police for Stonehill College. Carnes said the raw data is not complete yet because of the newness of the technology but we can already see the trends.
Carnes said texting is more hazardous than talking on the phone while driving.
“Texting for some reason requires a different level of concentration because, you know, people start reading the message and then they star thinking about the message and when you’re deep in thought about the message you’re definitely not paying attention to the road,” Carnes said.
Curtis Crocker, 21, is a senior at Bridgewater State College and commutes to school. Crocker said he is a chronic user of text messaging while driving.
“I know it’s dangerous but I am just so used to texting after having a girlfriend for so long,” Crocker said. “It’s just easier.” He said he text messages at least once every time he drives.
“I had a few close calls, actually. I almost hit a truck once on the highway. It stopped and I wasn’t watching the road,” Crocker said. “I probably should stop.”
Shawn Torres, 21, of Stonehill College is a senior, said he can text and drive without a problem.
“Phone calls are longer and more distracting than shooting a text to someone,” Torres said.
Matthew Salerno, 21, Torres’ roommate, disagrees.
“Texting and driving are both pretty hard. You can’t be looking at what you’re texting and watch the road at the same time,” Salerno said.
He said he has had too many close calls driving to attempt a text while driving.
Alexandra Gordon, 18, freshman at Stonehill College, said texting while driving is a bad practice.
“It’s just stupid and dangerous,” Gordon said. “I couldn’t risk it.”
Gordon said she has never been in an accident or gotten a ticket and does not want to break her streak.
Police Chief Carnes said this sort of incident was not uncommon.
“You’ll be driving down the highway and see someone drifting across the lane and you think ‘This guy must be drunk,’” Carnes said. “Come to find out it’s just a kid texting his girlfriend. You’re operating a motor vehicle at excess of 60 miles per hour and don’t feel like you need to watch the road. It’s scary.”
Carnes said cell phones can cause problems on the road but they can also help highway safety.
“People talking on the phone now are usually using a Bluetooth or a headset. We’re seeing progress there at least,” Carnes said.
Jeff Duggan used to be like a large number of teenagers who admit to texting while driving. He was cruising down Interstate 93 and sending a text to his friend about plans for later that night.
“I was trying to text him directions,” Duggan said. “I had just gotten the street name to come out right when I felt a jolt and realized I had bumped into a car in the next lane.” Duggan said he grabbed the wheel and pulled to the left and he separated from the car without any damage.
“Aside from the paint scratch, which cost me some serious cash to fix before my dad saw, the car was fine. I got really lucky,” Duggan said.
According to a recent study, Duggan is not alone. Over one million vehicles on the road are being driven by someone using a hand-held phone at any given daylight moment according to the annually conducted 2007 National Occupant Protection Use Survey.
The study is conducted annually by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The survey also found that 1 percent of drivers 16 to 24 were visibly manipulating hand held devices and that 46 percent of teens admit to texting while driving.
A recent study by Nationwide Insurance found that 20 percent of drivers are texting while driving.
Stonehill College Police Chief Peter L. Carnes was Wenham’s Chief of Police from 1984 to 1995 and served as Yarmouth’s Chief of Police from 1995 to his retirement in 2007 when he came to be Chief of Police for Stonehill College. Carnes said the raw data is not complete yet because of the newness of the technology but we can already see the trends.
Carnes said texting is more hazardous than talking on the phone while driving.
“Texting for some reason requires a different level of concentration because, you know, people start reading the message and then they star thinking about the message and when you’re deep in thought about the message you’re definitely not paying attention to the road,” Carnes said.
Curtis Crocker, 21, is a senior at Bridgewater State College and commutes to school. Crocker said he is a chronic user of text messaging while driving.
“I know it’s dangerous but I am just so used to texting after having a girlfriend for so long,” Crocker said. “It’s just easier.” He said he text messages at least once every time he drives.
“I had a few close calls, actually. I almost hit a truck once on the highway. It stopped and I wasn’t watching the road,” Crocker said. “I probably should stop.”
Shawn Torres, 21, of Stonehill College is a senior, said he can text and drive without a problem.
“Phone calls are longer and more distracting than shooting a text to someone,” Torres said.
Matthew Salerno, 21, Torres’ roommate, disagrees.
“Texting and driving are both pretty hard. You can’t be looking at what you’re texting and watch the road at the same time,” Salerno said.
He said he has had too many close calls driving to attempt a text while driving.
Alexandra Gordon, 18, freshman at Stonehill College, said texting while driving is a bad practice.
“It’s just stupid and dangerous,” Gordon said. “I couldn’t risk it.”
Gordon said she has never been in an accident or gotten a ticket and does not want to break her streak.
Police Chief Carnes said this sort of incident was not uncommon.
“You’ll be driving down the highway and see someone drifting across the lane and you think ‘This guy must be drunk,’” Carnes said. “Come to find out it’s just a kid texting his girlfriend. You’re operating a motor vehicle at excess of 60 miles per hour and don’t feel like you need to watch the road. It’s scary.”
Carnes said cell phones can cause problems on the road but they can also help highway safety.
“People talking on the phone now are usually using a Bluetooth or a headset. We’re seeing progress there at least,” Carnes said.
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