<P> Texting has become a social norm since the early 2000s because of the popularity of smartphones . There have been many studies that have linked texting while driving to be the cause of life - threatening accidents due to driver distraction . The International Telecommunication Union states that `` texting , making calls , and other interaction with in - vehicle information and communication systems while driving is a serious source of driver distraction and increases the risk of traffic accidents '' . In 2013 the National Safety Council estimated there were about 1.4 million crashes in the US involving cell phone use . Their model predicted text messaging was involved in 6 - 16 % of all car accidents in the US . In 2010 , texting while driving amongst young drivers was named a disease burden and ranked 8th overall in the global years of life lost ( YLL ) . The premature mortality of young drivers who crash as a result of distracted driving has a greater effect on YLL than most diseases do . </P>
<P> Texting has become a social norm since the early 2000s because of the popularity of smartphones . There have been many studies that have linked texting while driving to be the cause of life - threatening accidents due to driver distraction . The International Telecommunication Union states that `` texting , making calls , and other interaction with in - vehicle information and communication systems while driving is a serious source of driver distraction and increases the risk of traffic accidents '' . In 2013 the National Safety Council estimated there were about 1.4 million crashes in the US involving cell phone use . Their model predicted text messaging was involved in 6 - 16 % of all car accidents in the US . In 2010 , texting while driving amongst young drivers was named a disease burden and ranked 8th overall in the global years of life lost ( YLL ) . The premature mortality of young drivers who crash as a result of distracted driving has a greater effect on YLL than most diseases do . </P>
when did texting and driving start to become a problem
when did texting and driving start to become a problem
the early 2000s
the early 2000s