WASHINGTON — Distracted driving is more widespread in the U.S. than in Europe, according to a study released Thursday that surveyed drivers about their cellphone and texting habits.
Nearly 69 percent of U.S. drivers said they had talked on a cellphone while driving within the previous 30 days, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. The share of European drivers who said they chatted on their phones ranged from 21 percent in the United Kingdom to 59 percent in Portugal.
A larger share of U.S. drivers also reported reading or sending text or e-mail messages while driving. Only Portugal’s drivers matched those in the U.S. for this habit — 31 percent in both countries. Spain had the smallest share of drivers who said they texted or e-mailed: 15 percent.
“We can’t really say why a greater percentage of drivers in the U.S. appear to be engaging in these behaviors. We really don’t know,” said the study’s author, CDC epidemiologist Rebecca Naumann. “We certainly know it’s an area that deserves more research.”
