Staying connected, staying safe at odds on the road

0 Comments | USA TODAY, May, 2008 | by Angela Haupt

When American drivers slam on the brakes, three out of four times it's because they were daydreaming, fiddling with the radio or chatting on the phone, a survey suggests today.

Nearly half of Americans consider talking on the phone and texting the most dangerous distractions while driving, but 81% acknowledge making calls from behind the wheel, according to the survey by Nationwide Mutual Insurance.

Most cases of driving while distracted are caused by a need to be constantly connected, says Bill Windsor, Nationwide's associate vice president of safety. "It's our lifestyle and mentality. We're so used to multitasking that we don't recognize it as dangerous anymore."

The survey found that, surprisingly, older drivers were more likely than teens to...