Texting while driving major distraction among teens

Wellington: A new survey has revealed that texting is one of the top a top distraction for teenagers when they are behind the wheel.

The survey conducted by AA Insurance approached 1000 New Zealand drivers aged 18 and over and found out that 25 per cent of men and 11 per cent of women were distracted by attractive pedestrians, Stuff.co.nz reported.

Reading a newspaper or magazine and applying make-up, shaving or other personal grooming during driving secured the second and third spot at the list.

The survey revealed that one AA Insurance customer became distracted by an attractive young woman on the footpath, while he was driving to work and he hit the car that had stopped in front of him, which resulted in a 2300 dollars claim for his car, plus damages to the other vehicle.

According to the survey, 20 per cent sent texts while driving, with the figure rising to nearly 50 per cent for the 18-24 group.

Talking on a mobile phone without a hands-free kit and changing the radio/iPod/MP3 player whilst driving were other major distractions.