Study: Texting while driving on the rise
By Molly Martinez, KRON-TV
In a worrying trend, more California drivers are using their cell phones while driving this year than last, according to a study released by state officials today.
The study, conducted by the state Office of Traffic Safety and the UCÂ Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center, centers on observations of driver behavior.
Researchers this year observed 9.2 percent of drivers using their cell phone. That marks a 39 percent increase from 2014, when 6.6 percent of drivers were seen using their cell phones, but remains lower than the all-time high of 10.8 percent recorded in 2012, officials said.