Manama: More than half of Kuwaiti drivers use their cell phones to send text messages while behind the wheel, a new study has indicated.
The research, carried out by Dr Zakiya Al Hashmi, Professor of Sociology at Kuwait University, has shown that 53 per cent of the respondents admitted they send or receive text messages while on the road.
It also showed that 94 per cent of those who participated in the survey talk on their cell phones while driving.
A total of 10 per cent have been in traffic accidents as a result, the Kuwait Times reported.
The study pointed out those Kuwaiti citizens had the highest number of road accidents in 2008, drawing a connection between the increase in accidents and the use of cell phones while on the road.
Al Hashmi warned that using a phone while behind the wheel for more than 10 minutes increases the risks of accidents by four times and said that even hands-free headsets do not necessarily reduce the risk.
"In both cases the driver is distracted to the same extent and the level of distraction affects the quality of a person's driving equally," said Al Hashmi.
In fact, a recent study showed that the quality of a person driving with a cell phone is the same as that of someone driving under the influence of alcohol.
