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Drivers More Distracted by Children than Texting - Compare Car ...

A recent survey conducted by LeaseTrader.com found that there are a couple of things more distracting than texting on the roads: road rage and children. This information comes on the heels of recent reports that the government is in the process of banning the use of mobile devices for texting while driving.

According to the survey, which polled more than 3,000 drivers, road rage and children are both huge distractions while driving. However, the survey found that men and women are affected differently by these and other distrations. For instance, the poll found that for men, road rage is a bigger problem. In fact, 18.3 percent of the men surveyed felt it was their biggest distraction, followed by eating and drinking, looking at people in other cars, and children.

On the other hand, 26.3 percent of women polled said their greatest distraction was children. Putting on makeup, messing with the radio, and dealing with navigation issues weren't too far behind. However, for both men and women, texting while driving fell pretty low on the list. Only 7.6 percent of men and 4.2 percent of women cited texting while driving as a dangerous distraction.

No matter what the distraction is, there is no doubt that distractions cause accidents, and accidents result in increases in auto insurance. So as the Obama administration takes steps to enact no-texting-while-driving laws, it's a good idea to conduct your own self-analysis to determine what your greatest distraction is. This can help you govern your own time on the road and reduce your chances of an accident, which can help ensure yours and others' safety and also manage your auto insurance coverage.

it's really hard to gauge what we subjectively feel is most distracting vs what the official reports say are the leading causes of accidents. i can perceive my kids (external) are the biggest distraction, however, i could perceivably cause an accident while i'm texting and not "think" i was distracted prior to the accident. plus, it's a ratio. how many people who actually text, get in accidents. vs how many women driving with kids get in accidents. even if they perceive the kids are more distracting, it could just take that one time texting that they cause the accident. last time i got in an accident, it was the other driver's fault. for her, it was road rage. for me, i say it's probably talking on the phone - even with a headset.

Source: Drivers More Distracted by Children than Texting - Compare Car ...