According to a Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association report, roughly two trillion text messages were sent in the U.S. last year. Over the summer, our texting addiction came to the center of the national debate, when texting drivers caused deaths in Michigan, California, and Georgia. Thirty-three states have outlawed texting while driving. The Takeaway asks whether text messaging really is as dangerous as critics say, and if so, is outlawing texting while driving the best solution? Daniel McGehee, research scientist and director of the Human Factors and Vehicle Safety Research Program at the University of Iowa, joined The Takeaway in June to weigh the options.
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