Nearly Half of Teens Text and Drive
Despite repeated warnings, many are still engaging in distracted driving.
July 26, 2012
Teen drivers are already at a disadvantage on the roads. They are inexperienced drivers and are new to all of dangers that the roads pose. More alarmingly, teens are also at a disadvantage because many teens text and drive. According to a new survey, about half of teens admit to texting while driving, even though almost all agree that it is a dangerous habit.Friends, Parents Also Texting
Around three quarters of teens say that their friends often text and drive. The same number reported that their parents text as much as the teens themselves do. Distracted driving is a very dangerous habit: 3,092 people were killed in 2010 car accidents by distracted drivers and about 416,000 were injured.
Approximately 41 percent of teens said they saw their parents texting and driving during recent months. 43 percent of teens that said they had texted while they were driving in the past three months. Older teens are also texting and driving; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that drivers aged 18-20 have the most cell phone involvement in crashes.
Confusion About What Constitutes Text Messaging
The teens involved in the survey had some confusion about what would actually constitute texting. Most of them thought that just reading a text message is less dangerous than actually typing one out. Well over half of teens reported glancing at their phones while they were driving in the past three months.
Just reading a text message or dialing a phone number, however, can lead to life-changing results. The typical amount of time a driver's eyes are taken away from the road when sending or receiving a text message is 4.6 seconds. In that amount of time, a driver driving 55 mph drives the length of a football field. Aside from drivers taking their eyes of the road, cell phone use takes needed brain activity and concentration away from drivers.
The bottom line is that using a cellphone while driving is dangerous, because even taking eyes off of the road for a split second can lead to serious consequences. People injured by distracted drivers may be entitled to legal relief. A personal injury attorney is a helpful resource for people injured by distracted drivers.
Article provided by Bordas & Bordas, PLLC
Visit us at www.bordaslaw.com