If you’re reading this while driving. Put it down. Now.
Nearly 4 in 10 smartphone users tap into social media while driving, according to a new survey commissioned by AT&T.
The biggest draw was Facebook. Addiction was cited as a common reason.
“For the sake of you and those around you, please keep your eyes on the road, not on your phone,” said Lori Lee, AT&T's global marketing officer.
Of the 10 percent of drivers who tweet while driving, about one-third said they do it “all the time.” What a world.
In 2012, more than 3,300 people were killed and 421,000 injured in auto accidents because of distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The survey comes hot on the bumper of an annual Expedia report that named texting while driving as the number one cause of road rage. That may be because 7 in 10 people said they use their smartphones while driving.
Texting is still the most common smartphone driving activity, but that’s just the first in a long newsfeed of dumb ideas:
Text (61 percent)
Email (33 percent)
Surf the net (28 percent)
Facebook (27 percent)
Snap a selfie/photo (17 percent)
Twitter (14 percent)
Instagram (14 percent)
Shoot a video (12 percent)
Snapchat (11 percent)
Video chat (10 percent)
The national survey was conducted by Braun Research and polled more than 2,000 who own a smartphone and drive at least once per day.
Gavin Stern is a national digital producer with the Scripps National Desk.
