Texting while driving might seem like a harmless habit—just a quick glance, a short reply. But your reaction time takes a serious hit in that brief moment of distraction. Studies have shown that texting while driving can delay your response time more than alcohol impairment. That means a few seconds could be the difference between stopping safely and crashing into the car ahead of you.
It’s not just about how long you take to look up from your phone. Texting slows your brain’s ability to process what’s happening around you, and that can have lasting consequences—especially at highway speeds or in unpredictable traffic.
Your Brain Can’t Multitask the Way You Think
Many drivers believe they can multitask behind the wheel. But in reality, the brain isn’t wired to perform two attention-heavy tasks at once. When you're driving and texting, your attention doesn’t split—it switches rapidly between tasks. This phenomenon is known as “attention switching,” and during those switches, critical information—like a brake light or a pedestrian—can be missed entirely.
Even hands-free texting doesn’t eliminate the problem. Voice-to-text systems still require mental effort and visual checking, which slow down your reaction time just the same.
How Long Is Too Long? Just a Few Seconds
At 55 mph, your car covers roughly the length of a football field in five seconds. If you take your eyes off the road for just that long to read or send a text, you’re essentially driving blind—no awareness of what’s happening ahead.
That’s plenty of time for traffic to stop, a child to enter the road, or a driver in front of you to swerve unexpectedly. By the time your eyes are back on the road, and your brain has processed what’s happening, it may already be too late to react.
Studies show texting can increase reaction time by 35% or more, meaning a driver who could stop in time under normal conditions now crashes into the object instead.
Texting Affects All Three Forms of Distraction
There are three primary types of distracted driving:
- Visual – Taking your eyes off the road
- Manual – Taking your hands off the wheel
- Cognitive – Taking your mind off driving
Texting manages to check all three boxes at once. You look down, use your hands, and think about the conversation instead of the road. It’s one of the most dangerous combinations of distractions a driver can engage in, and the risk is especially high in fast-paced or unpredictable traffic.
Reaction Time and Stopping Distance Are Connected
It’s easy to underestimate how a delayed reaction affects braking. Let’s say a hazard appears, and you take just one extra second to react. During that time, your vehicle travels an additional 80 feet at highway speeds before you even touch the brakes.
Now, add in the actual stopping distance required—another 150+ feet depending on your vehicle and conditions—and you’re quickly out of safe braking range. That delay can be the cause of a rear-end collision, running a red light, or swerving into another lane.
The problem compounds in wet weather, at night, or in stop-and-go traffic when the unexpected becomes more likely.
Young Drivers Are Very Vulnerable
Newer drivers are still developing their instincts and reflexes on the road, so anything that delays their reaction time is more dangerous. Unfortunately, young adults and teens are also the most likely to text behind the wheel.
Even experienced drivers aren’t immune. Familiarity with the road or confidence in your reflexes doesn’t change the fact that your brain needs time to recognize a threat, decide how to respond, and move your body into action.
Every second counts—and every distraction adds risk.
Trust Bimmer Motor Specialists in Coppell, TX, to help you stay alert, stay in control, and keep your car ready to respond. Book your appointment today.