Survey: Drivers know distracting behaviors are unsafe, but do them anyway

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WASHINGTON — Americans on the road know what contributes to dangerous driving habits, but that doesn’t mean it prevents drivers from doing them, according to a new survey.

A new Harris survey found 74 percent of Americans admit to driving while talking on the cellphone.

“Despite majorities knowing that talking on a cellphone is dangerous, three-fourths of drivers with cellphones say they ever do so (74 percent), with two in 10 (21 percent) saying they do so frequently,” the study says.

Also, 37 percent admit to texting while behind the wheel.

And 36 percent say they use a tablet or smartphone to look up things online while driving.

Nearly a third of Americans admit to drinking while driving if they know they’re only driving a short distance.

This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between March 12 and 17, 2014. It surveyed more than 2,200 adults ages 18 and older.

Harris Poll didn’t provide a margin of error, but instead said “All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate.”

h/t: Huffington Post

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