• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, June 4, 2009

Results from the second annual Vlingo Consumer Mobile Messaging Habits Report show that, this year, nearly 60% of mobile phone owners use their phones to text, with 94% of teens the largest user group, and 20-somethings at 87%. Among those in their 40s, usage jumped from 56% in 2008 to 64% this year, and for those in their 50s it jumped from 38% to 46%.

Texting is also gaining on sending/receiving calls as the primary use of mobile phones, with 35% of all respondents using their phones for texting more than for phone calls. Almost half of respondents do both in equal numbers.

 The volume of text messages has gone up as well across all age groups, although the 13 to 19 age group remains the most active, sending more than 500 texts per month on average.

Despite the popularity of mobile data services, of those surveyed:

• 41% do not text
• 70% do not browse the Web
• 73% do not use email on their mobile phones
• 74% report that they would use voice enablement as a way to make text messaging easier

With 86% of respondents paying their mobile phone bills themselves, the survey found that cost is one of the main reasons for non-adoption:

• 44% cite cost as a barrier to adopting text messaging
• 59% cite cost as a barrier to web browsing
• 53% cite cost as a reason for not adopting mobile email

Among those who do not text message:

• 27% cite the difficulty of typing on a tiny keyboard as a barrier, while
• 37% say it takes too much time to type.

While voice enablement may be desired as a way to make text messaging easier, safety is an important consideration. Despite Driving While Texting (DWT) bans in seven states and the District of Columbia, one in four of all mobile phone users admit to DWT and it occurs in all age groups. Nearly 70% of respondents would use voice recognition technology while driving instead of typing if they could speak text or email messages and have incoming messages read to them.

Almost 60% of those ages 16 to 19 admit to DWT and 49% of those 20 to 29 admit to DWT. The percentages get smaller for older respondents, but usage remains high with 13% of those in their 50s admitting to doing so. Drivers in Tennessee are the worst offenders, with the highest percentage of respondents (42%) who admit to DWT, while Arizona has the lowest percentage (18.8%).

Slightly more than 83% of respondents think DWT should be illegal, while only 7% think DWT should be legal, and 10% are undecided. However, with more safety precautions such as hands?free solutions that enable consumers to text without typing, 40% of respondents favor making DWT legal.

Dave Grannan, CEO of Vlingo notes that "... in just one year, the public conversation about the issue of DWT has escalated... (though) texting is such an integral component of our daily lives... the cautionary tales about DWT danger have not stemmed the tide... many state legislatures are starting to take up this issue, and today more advanced technologies exist that can increase safety on the roads."

For more information, and to access the PDF file for this report, please visit Vlingo here.