Texting and driving is way too common, considering just how dangerous it is. People just seem to forget that they are driving a 3,500-pound machine that can take lives and cause serious injuries. When that phone chirps, they feel like they have to pick it up.

Do you want to know how bad the problem really is? Here are four key statistics that help to paint a picture:

  1. More than half of all drivers in the United States (57 percent) say they have texted while they were driving. Some researchers believe the real rate could be higher, but some drivers refuse to admit that they do it.
  2. A staggering 80 percent of car accidents link back to driver inattention that happens right before the crash — within the previous three seconds. All it takes is a moment for a crash.
  3. When asked about general distracted driving — not just texting — the percentage of Americans who admit to it jumped all the way to 74 percent. Of those, about 19 percent used their phones to go on the Internet while behind the wheel.
  4. Despite all of these stats showing that most people suffer from serious distractions, a full 89 percent of people said they thought that texting and driving was dangerous. They felt like it should be illegal.