Study: Texts, talk, apps kill 16,000 people in 7 years
September 24th, 2010 - 8:39 pm ICT by Aishwarya BhattSep 24 (THAINDIAN NEWS) An estimated 16,000 people have been killed in accidents as a result of phone distractions in the United States between the period of 2001 to 2007.
US researchers released the figures on Thursday. Disturbingly, most of the dead were under the age of 30. This is the first research of its kind to identify the number of people who have died as a result of mobile phone distractions.
The findings of the research were published in the American Journal of Public Health on Thursday. The research was carried out by Fernando Wilson and Jim Stimpson of the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
The researchers say the used data from road deaths from US states as well as cell phone ownership and text message volume from the Federal Communications Commission for their study.
According to the researchers, the volume of text messages in the United States rose from 1 million a month from 2001 to 110 million messages per month in 2008. The researchers admit that though voice calls are distracting, text messages and smart phone applications also greatly distract drivers.
About 30 states in the United States have ban texting while driving with other states require drivers to use hands free phone device when driving.
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