Designated Driver, Make Room for 'Designated Texter'

Survey on teen safety coins a phrase
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 28, 2012 6:44 PM CDT
Designated Driver, Make Room for 'Designated Texter'
Teens are getting better at understanding the risks of texting while driving, though plenty still do it, a new study suggests.   (Shutterstock)

The bad news from a new State Farm survey is that a third of teen drivers admit to sending or reading texts while driving. The good news is that teens in general seem to have a greater awareness of the danger, with four of five saying they had scolded a driver for texting. And maybe the most interesting news is that a generation that grew up in a culture of designated drivers for alcohol might be embracing the concept of designated texters, too, reports the Washington Post.

“When I’m in a car with my friends or family, I say, ‘Hey, don’t do that. I’ll text for you.’ I’m the designated texter," one teen in Pennsylvania told the insurance carrier. (More driving while texting stories.)

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