OMG -- were you actually surprised by this one? Here's a stat that's nothing to LOL about -- you're 23 times more likely to crash if you text while driving [source: Distraction.gov].
Prior to the 2000s, this distraction would not have even made the list. But with proliferating technology and social media platforms, it's become one of the worst collective weapons of mass distraction with which we have to contend.
It takes about five seconds of attention to a screen and keyboard to send a brief text. Disturbingly, 77 percent of young adult drivers say they can safely drive while texting [source: stoptextsstopwrecks.org].
In actuality, distracted driving accidents, including those caused by the use of handheld devices, collectively form the No. 1 killer of teens, according to the NHTSA and others.
While it's convenient to blame our problems on technology, sometimes it's quite apparent that the issue really lies with us. To see how having a head in the clouds might put a person underground, go on to the next page.
