DETROIT – More Michigan drivers are admitting to texting and emailing while behind the wheel.
That is according to a recent phone survey conducted by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Patrol, which reports 16.3 percent of respondents admitted to texting and emailing while driving, double the number of people who admitted to it in a similar 2012 survey.
Recommended Videos
The Office of Highway Safety Patrol surveyed 600 Michigan drivers, asking them about their driving habits including their knowledge of traffic laws, drinking and driving, cellphone use while driving and texting while driving.
According to OHSP's results, 59 percent of the surveyed Michigan drivers admitted to making and accepting phone calls while driving -- an increase from 56 percent of drivers in 2012 -- and 31 percent of the drivers admitted to looking at incoming text messages and emails -- an increase from 17 percent in 2012.
The survey did not ask for the driver's age.
View/download: OHSP's full survey results
The survey also reports the following:
• 40.2 percent said they would feel unsafe driving after two drinks in a 2-hour time period, while 26.6 percent felt they would be unsafe after one drink
• 96 percent said they would want to have their seatbelt on during a crash
• 78.7 percent said their driving skills were better than those of the average driver
The survey was conducted between Jan. 13 and Jan. 16, 2014. Of the 600 drivers contacted by phone, 17 percent were Wayne County residents, 8.8 percent were Macomb County residents and 13.5 percent were Oakland County residents. The rest were dispersed across the state, including the Upper Peninsula.
24817066