Wednesday, January 25, 2012 1:21 pm

Four out of ten drivers feel less safe on the road than they did five years ago. That's according to a recent highway safety survey of Tennesseans conducted by the Center for Transportation Research (CTR) and the Center for Applied Research and Evaluation (CARE) at the University of Tennessee.

The biggest fear factor--distracted drivers. Survey results show that Tennesseans consider texting and emailing while driving to be as threatening as drinking while driving. Nine out of ten respondents cited the behavior as a threat to their personal safety.

"It is telling that Tennesseans now find texting and emailing while driving a threat equal in severity to drinking and driving," said Jerry Everett, CTR research director. Everett notes that while almost all respondents consider drinking and driving unacceptable, driving while texting or while drowsy are still considered risks worth taking.

While drivers may find these behaviors unsafe, it does not stop them from doing them. The survey found one out of five drivers engaged in these behaviors in the past 30 days. This research showed that inconsistencies between attitudes and behavior were common among the respondents.