The dangerous behavior of texting and driving is not linked to the economy, it’s linked to people who think too highly of themselves, which is linked to their education and upbringing.
It's also linked to the fact that it's too 'effing easy to drive a car.
I work professionally in a field where I regularly deal with traffic safety and roadway design, and I've said for years that there is one simple thing that would be the most effective method for improving traffic safety in the U.S. today: Outlaw the automatic transmission.