Despite all the warnings, about half of all U.S. high school students say they text while behind the wheel -- even though they know it's a habit that can dramatically increase their risk of getting in a fatal car crash.
According to the survey, more than 8,500 high school students were asked if they texted while driving during the past month. Overall 44.5% said yes, they had done so on one or more days; One in four texted while driving on a daily basis; and male high school students were more likely to text than female students.
The teens who reported texting while driving were also more likely to engage in other risky behaviors such as DUI or not wearing a seat belt, according to the study.
"It's not surprising that kids are doing it fairly often. Kids also think they are invincible. They don't necessarily think through the risks and even if they think there is a risk, they think it's not going to happen to them," Dr. Kate Eshleman, a child psychologist who was not part of the study, said.
