63 percent under 30 admit driving while on phone

YONKERS — A new Consumer Reports poll says 63 percent of young people acknowledge driving while using a handheld phone. Thirty percent say they’ve sent text messages while behind the wheel. The poll also says only 30 percent of those under 30 feel such behavior is very dangerous. The poll was released on March 7 in connection with a new partnership between the magazine and the U.S. Department of Transportation to fight distracted driving. They say the program includes an online guide, a public service message and a video to air in retail stores. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood calls distracted driving a deadly epidemic. His department says nearly 5,500 people in the U.S. were killed in distracted driving accidents in 2009. Online: http://distraction.gov