Shd u txt, chat n drive? Young drivers say OK

The majority of young U.S. drivers admit they chat on their cell phones and text message while driving -- and almost a half of them see no reason to stop.

A survey by the Zogby International polling firm released on Wednesday found 66 percent of U.S. drivers aged between 18 and 24 send text messages while driving and 93 percent talk on their cell phone behind the wheel.

This compared to 16 percent of Americans cell phones owners overall texting behind the wheel and 77 percent talking on the phone while on the road.

But while 83 percent of Americans overall were in favor of making it illegal to text while driving, a move being considered by some states, the poll found greater resistance to stopping people from communicating while behind the wheel from younger drivers.

It found 38 percent of young drivers were against laws to ban texting while driving and 42 percent opposed laws to stop them talking on cell phones while on the road.

"The increased resistance from the youngest motorists to laws that ban texting while driving could stem from their heavy reliance on the technology to keep in touch with friends," said a report on the survey in the June issue of Zogby's American Consumer newsletter.

The Zogby Interactive poll of 2,246 adults was conducted across the United States from May 9-10 and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.

This was found at Reuters.