Association between texting while driving and other risky motor vehicle behaviors among U.S. high school students

Background/Purpose: Motor vehicle (MV) crashes are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for U.S. adolescents; distracted driving contributes to these crashes. CDC's 2011 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) assessed frequency of texting/emailing while driving (TWD) among a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school students. This study analyzes the prevalence of TWD and associations with other risky MV behaviors. Methods: The YRBS assessed TWD with the question "During the past 30 days, on how many days did you text or e-mail while driving a car or other vehicle?" TWD was coded: never (0 days), occasional (1-19 days), and frequent (20-30 days). Among students aged ≥16 years, logistic regression assessed the relationship between TWD and other risky MV behaviors, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and sex. Results/Outcomes: Among 8,505 students, 29% engaged in occasional TWD and 16% engaged in frequent TWD. Frequent TWD was highest among white students (18%) and students ≥18 years (25%). Compared to students who never engaged in TWD, students who engaged in frequent TWD had higher odds of never/rarely wearing a seatbelt (AOR: 3.6, 95%CI: 2.8-4.5), riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol (AOR: 3.4, 95%CI: 2.9-4.1), driving when drinking alcohol (AOR=14.4, 95%CI: 11.3-18.4), and getting insufficient sleep (AOR=1.3, 95%CI: 1.1-1.6). Similar patterns were seen for occasional TWD. Conclusions: Nearly half (44%) of students engaged in TWD; these students are more likely to participate in other risky MV behaviors. These results highlight the importance of developing effective strategies to reduce TWD among U.S. adolescents.