Think Texting is Distracting? How About Sex Behind the Wheel!

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It was just a few days ago that auto-insurer GMAC told us that 20% of American drivers would fail a written driver’s exam. Now another company is telling us that texting is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to distracting behaviors we engage in while behind the wheel.

Cell phone headset maker Jabra recently announced the results of an informal, online (translation: completely unreliable) survey that suggests Americans are driving while doing pretty much everything except watching the road.

Complete Survey results from the Jabra website:

  • The majority of respondents (72%) admitted to eating food regularly while driving
  • 29% of respondents admitted to kissing others while driving, whereas a smaller, but surprising number (15%) said they’ve performed sex or other sexual acts while driving
  • 28% confirmed they text while driving
  • 25% admitted to changing clothes while driving, whereas much fewer (5%) have shaved while behind the wheel
  • Nearly 25% admits to styling their hair or changing clothes while the car is in motion
  • 13% reported they apply makeup while driving
  • 10% also reported reading newspapers or magazines while driving
  • 5% confessed to playing video games, while even more (12%) admitted to writing or reading emails while driving

While the most obvious conclusion one might draw from this survey is that it’s a good idea to practice defensive driving, one might also consider a couple of additional takeaways:

  • A company with a vested interest can draw attention to its products by producing a completely non-scientific but titillating survey, then issuing it as a press release.
  • Many readers (including you) will often respond to an article with the word “sex” in the title.

But now that you’re here, check out a story that might actually provide some benefit: Understanding, Organizing and Saving on Car Insurance.

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