Nearly Half of Teens Text and Drive

Despite repeated warnings, many are still engaging in distracted driving.

2012-07-26

July 26, 2012 (Press-News.org) 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

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Dividing a Military Pension in a North Carolina Divorce

2012-07-26

Deciding how to divide marital assets is a challenging step that must be completed before a divorce is final. This step can be especially challenging if one or both spouses is a current or retired military service member. If this is the case, it means that the couple's biggest asset is oftentimes the military spouse's retirement pension. Because of this pension, the laws regarding its division, and other factors affecting military couples, a military divorce can be more complicated than a divorce between two nonmilitary members in North Carolina. Division Of The ...

Lawmakers Again Fail to Pass South Carolina Texting Ban

2012-07-26

The evidence is in: highway safety advocates and many state legislatures understand the dangers of distracted driving. Nearly 40 states have passed laws that prevent sending and receiving of text messages while driving, and no one requires an explanation as to why texting distracts drivers. Unfortunately, the South Carolina Senate recently rejected a bill that would have outlawed texting while driving, leaving the state in the distinct minority with respect to distracted driving prevention. While South Carolina cities such as Columbia, Camden, Clemson, Walhalla, Sumter ...

When Business Owners Divorce: The Importance of Business Valuations

2012-07-26

A few years back, many individuals found themselves searching for new careers after the economy plummeted. Some took jobs similar to those they left behind while others chose to make their own paths and open small businesses. Both the Wall Street Journal and Forbes report that some entrepreneurial businessmen and women with new startups were recently hiring at "a red hot pace." In fact, Forbes notes hiring for entrepreneurial companies rose over 13 percent compared to last year, a much stronger increase than that of established companies, which reported hiring ...

Overtime Lawsuits Becoming More Common

2012-07-26

As USA Today recently reported, there has been an uptick in overtime pay lawsuits in the past several years. Last year saw a 32 percent increase in lawsuits seeking payment for overtime when compared to the past three years. Some legal experts have theorized that the rise in lawsuits is directly linked to the country's ongoing economic downturn. As companies are facing rising costs and lower revenues, they are taking drastic measures to slash expenses. One surefire way to cut costs is to decrease the workforce, so massive layoffs and restructuring measures have many ...

Florida Housing Market Continues to Face Uncertainty

2012-07-26

The story of Florida's housing market continues to be one of foreclosures and distressed sales. Authorities expect over one million distressed homes to hit the market over the next year or so, including those subject to delinquent mortgages, bank-owned homes and a backlog of homes from the Robogate scandal. A legal case regarding the scandal is currently before Florida's Supreme Court. The distressed properties are concentrated in Orlando, Jacksonville, and across South Florida. This backlog of distressed homes has worried financial professionals and real estate professionals ...

Financial Questions About Divorce in Tennessee

2012-07-26

Individuals facing divorce may have many questions regarding how property will be divided and what options are most economically promising given their individual circumstances. While a Nashville divorce attorney is the best resource if you are getting divorced, anyone can benefit from a basic understanding of how marital property is distributed under Tennessee law. Equitable Distribution Spouses and their attorneys may come to an agreement about how property will be divided upon the dissolution of the marriage. When such an agreement cannot be reached, however, a ...

OOIDA Challenges New Out of Service Criteria

2012-07-26

The debate over working hours for over-the-road truckers continues in federal court as the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) filed a Motion for an Order to Show Cause before the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. The motion asks Judge Donovan W. Frank to order the Minnesota State Patrol and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) to show why they should not be held in contempt of court for violating several portions of a court order barring them from holding drivers out of service. In 2009, OOIDA and driving member Stephen K. ...

Review Finds No Reason to Continue Use of Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants

2012-07-26

After several years of patient complaints and product recalls, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel of health experts found that there is little reason to continue to use metal-on-metal hip implants in hip replacement patients. Over the last decade, orthopedists have increasingly used metal-on-metal hip implants after early studies found the devices were less susceptible to wear than their plastic or ceramic counterparts. However, more recent studies and thousands of patient complaints have proved the devices actually have a higher rate of wear, leading to discomfort, ...

Bank of America Shareholder Suit: Civil vs. Criminal Liability

2012-07-26

Americans have heard plenty about financial fraud in recent years, due largely to federal enforcement of white collar crimes in the mortgage industry and related sectors. Investigations of financial wrongdoing can lead to criminal prosecutions as well as lawsuits initiated by shareholders and other interested parties. A major shareholder suit recently filed in New York against Bank of America touches on some legal issues common to fraud lawsuits and federal white collar prosecutions. The case involves allegations that shareholders were kept in the dark regarding the ...

Just a Bump on the Head? Think Again. The Truth About Traumatic Brain Injuries

2012-07-26

Have you ever counted the number of times someone takes a spill on the hit show "Wipeout", or laughed at the falls people take on America's Funniest Home Videos? With more Americans leading active lifestyles, head injuries are becoming common, yet overlooked injuries that can have debilitating effects if not treated properly. People may hit their heads in falls or crashes may report immediate symptoms that quickly subside, but they may complain of lingering headaches and other cognitive issues weeks, or even months, later. The Mayo Clinic defines traumatic ...

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Nearly Half of Teens Text and Drive

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: