Distractions Leading Cause of Teen Accidents?

Mel — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:17:00 +0000

If you’re a parent you worry about every aspect of your child’s time behind the wheel of a car, from whether or not they’re really learning anything in driver’s ed, to the cost of getting car insurance for your teenager As a parent in the digital age, however, you have a concern that your own parents did not: digital distractions. Cell phone calls and constant texting are behaviors most teens engage in on and off the road, but it’s the latter location that’s worrisome.

To be honest, it’s worrisome when adults are texting or talking while driving, as well, but teens are less experienced when it comes to second-guessing other drivers, and therefore have a higher risk of actually getting into an accident while using a handheld device.

How much more likely?

According to a story published last October in the Insurance Journal a report was released by Transportation Department officials which said that in 2008, almost 6,000 people were killed and over half a million were injured in car crashes where at least one kind of driver distraction was reported. In addition, driver distraction was a factor in sixteen percent of all fatal crashes that year.

In addition to the general statistics, the greatest proportion of distracted drivers were younger motorists, those aged twenty or younger, with sixteen percent of those drivers reported to be involved in fatal crashes.

Despite inconclusive data about text-while-driving bans actually working, it seems that distracted driving is a major epidemic in the United States.

The question is: what do we do about it?

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Distractions Leading Cause of Teen Accidents?