Auto Insurance Company's Study Finds Under 30s Using iPods While Driving, Increasing Risk

A press release from the Australian auto insurance company NRMA Insurance about a recent research study finds that nearly half of all drivers under 30 use mp3 players, such as iPods, while driving.

The insurer claims that searching for songs or adjusting playlists can make the devices more distracting than a CD player or radio. NRMA recommends creating playlists beforehand, so you're focused on the road instead of on choosing tracks.

Worst of all, 17% actually wear headphones when they're driving! Doing so makes it extremely likely that they won't hear traffic signals or even emergency sirens. Being distracted for as little as one second can result in a car accident causing bodily injury, death, and/or skyrocketing auto insurance premiums.

Although the research was done in Australia, I would expect these statistics to be similar in the United States and other similar cultures, given the general risk-taking of many young drivers worldwide.