100 deadliest days for teen drivers

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BOSTON, May 26 (UPI) -- Memorial Day is the beginning of the 100 deadliest days of the year for U.S. teen drivers, the president of AT&T in New England said.

Patricia Jacobs said AT&T has joined local law enforcement and elected officials to bring awareness -- through presentations in high schools -- of the dangers of distracted driving.

"While we are proud of the work we've put into spreading the word to teens about the dangers of texting and driving, more remains to be done," Jacobs said in a statement. "As our new study indicates, while teens know that texting and driving is dangerous, far too many of them admit that they are still doing it anyway."

AT&T's survey found that while 97 percent of teens know texting while driving is dangerous, 43 percent admit sending a text while driving and 75 percent say the practice is common among their friends.

The survey found teenagers feel pressure to respond quickly to text messages -- and adults are setting a poor example by texting while driving.

With prom, graduation and summer nearing, the "100 deadliest days" for teen drivers on the road run from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

A phone app can help prevent texting and driving by providing a customizable auto-reply message notifying friends the user is driving and will respond when it is safe.

No survey details were provided.