It doesn't take a "brainiac" to deduct that texting while driving is dangerous. Texting while behind the wheel can distract a driver in three ways, Forbes reports: Visually, manually and cognitively. It follows that distracted driving has become a leading cause of vehicle crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More than 3,500 people died as a result of distracted drivers in 2021 alone, the NHTSA says. When risky behavior such as texting while driving is chronicled, as it is when a driver is cited by law enforcement for texting, it's bound to impact insurance rates. Insure.com, the coverage comparison-shopping website, set out to determine just how much a texting ticket will cause insurance premiums to rise. The slideshow above illustrates the extra amount an insured is likely to pay at six top auto insurance carriers if they're ticketed for texting while driving, according to Insure.com. Researchers determined that nearly half (46%) of all drivers in the U.S. admit to texting while driving despite it being illegal, which it is in 47 states. Many of those drivers have texted while driving with kids in the car, and about one in five of them have been ticketed for the act, Insure.com reports. Here are three tips from safety experts at the University of Missouri to help deter drivers' attraction to reading or responding to texts while operating a vehicle: |

1. Put your phone out of reach, such as in the glove box, back seat or trunk.
2. Pull over and park safely if you need to use your phone to talk or text.
3. Make a pledge to your family to never text or talk on the phone while driving.

See also: |

• Work pressures might be propelling distracted driving rates
• Insurers are stepping in to stop distracted commercial drivers
• Do texting-while-driving laws work?