Texting As Bad As Drunken Driving, Says Survey

FOSTER CITY, Calif., April 27, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new survey from Insurance.com finds 75 percent of drivers view texting while driving to be as dangerous as drunken driving.

The insurance quotes-comparison website asked 1,000 married adult drivers which of four traffic violations most closely approximates the risk from a texting driver:

• DUI: 75 percent
• Running a stop sign: 15 percent
• Speeding: 7 percent
• Parking violation: 3 percent

"Public opinion is far ahead of state law and insurance policies, which treat distracted driving tickets as no more than a minor traffic violation in most states," said Insurance.com Managing Editor Des Toups. "Many states don't consider texting a moving violation at all."

Penalties for texting and driving vary immensely depending on where you live. Even in states where a texting ticket reaches a driver's record, it may have little or no effect on the driver's insurance rates.

The average increase in insurance rates from a minor violation, such as a texting ticket or speeding just over the limit, is 14 percent, according to data gathered for Insurance.com by Quadrant Information Services. By contrast, the average increase after a DUI is 76 percent.

The Insurance.com survey also found that:

• Women were more likely to view texting as akin to a DUI than men were, 82 percent to 66 percent.
• Fewer young drivers saw texting as serious, with 69 percent of drivers under 35 saying texting was like a DUI, compared with 84 percent of drivers older than 65.
• 38 percent of the surveyed group admitted texting while driving themselves.

For more information on penalties for texting and driving, visit http://www.insurance.com/auto-insurance/auto-insurance-basics/texting-tickets.html.

Methodology

Insurance.com commissioned an online-panel survey of 1,000 licensed married drivers aged 25 and up, half men and half women, in February 2015.

About Insurance.com

Insurance.com, based in Foster City, Calif., is an online resource where consumers can compare side-by-side, real-time auto insurance quotes from multiple insurance carriers. Since its inception in 2001, Insurance.com has delivered more than 11 million quotes to consumers – who, in less than 10 minutes, fill out one form and save an average of $540 annually – making it one of the largest independent insurance marketplaces in the U.S. Participants include some of the biggest names in auto insurance, including Progressive, Esurance, The Hartford, Travelers and 21st Century. Experts from Insurance.com are available for interviews on all issues pertaining to auto insurance.

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About QuinStreet Inc.

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 CONTACT: Alex Bryant, Insurance.com          (212) 863-4753          [email protected]

Source: Insurance.com