Smartphone Use While Driving Grows Beyond Texting, AT&T Says

Nearly four in every 10 smartphone users tap into social media while driving, almost three in 10 surf the net, and one in 10 video chat, shows new research from AT&T, the company said in a news release on Tuesday. Seven in 10 people engage in smartphone activities while driving, but texting and emailing are still the most prevalent, it said. Among social platforms, Facebook tops the list, with more than a quarter of those polled using the app while driving and about one-in-seven said they're on Twitter behind the wheel, the study showed. With those findings, AT&T is expanding the "It Can Wait" campaign from a focus on texting while driving to include other smartphone driving distractions, the release said. The research found that 62 percent of drivers keep their smartphones within easy reach while driving. It also said 30 percent of people who post to Twitter while driving do it "all the time" and 22 percent of those who access social networks cite addiction as a reason. Of those who shoot videos behind the wheel, 27 percent think they can do it safely while driving, the study showed. The study was commissioned by AT&T and done by Braun Research. The firm polled 2,067 people in the U.S. aged 16-65 who use their smartphone and drive at least once a day, AT&T said.