Drivers say family members pressure them to talk/text behind the wheel

If a family member calls or texts you while you’re behind the wheel, do you feel pressured to respond – even though you know about the dangers of distracted driving?

If so, you’re not alone. A staggering 82 percent of Americans feel more pressure from their family members than from anyone else to drive while distracted, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by the National Safety Council.

“It is a sad irony that the people we love are actually jeopardizing our safety,” NSC President and CEO Deborah A.P. Hersman said in a press release. “If you really care, don’t call to say, ‘I love you.’ Instead, encourage your family to set everything else aside, disconnect and focus only on the road.”

Double standards remain common among drivers when they are asked about distracted driving. For example, two-thirds of respondents said they felt unsafe because another driver was distracted. However, only 25 percent acknowledged that their own distractions put others at risk.

Additional findings from the NSC survey included:

• 54 percent of drivers feel pressure from employers to drive while distracted.
• 74 percent of drivers said they would use Facebook while behind the wheel.
• About 25 percent of drivers say they would feel much better about driving if they had no way to use technology behind the wheel.
• 55 percent said they would not disable technology to prevent distracted driving if such technology became available.
• Almost two-thirds of drivers admitted they would talk on the phone while driving through a parking lot.

The survey was published ahead of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which began April 1.