Teens & Distracted Driving

Teens & Distracted Driving

By Chelsea Montano

11/01/2020

“Finally, I’m 16, I can start learning how to drive!! Then I won’t have to ask my parents for rides anymore. If I want to go to the park to play sports, I can drive there! If I want to go to the mall to buy those sick shoes I saw, I won’t have to ask! My friends want to go to the movies? Get in guys, I’m driving, wooo!” That’s what I first thought when I was finally old enough to start driving. It’s a very exciting moment for all teens! However, many of us don’t realize that with freedom comes responsibility. Driving on the road is no joke. It takes mature, responsible people to keep the roads safe for all of us. One of the most important ways teens can contribute to safer roads is by avoiding distracting driving. Especially by not using our phone while driving.

What exactly is distracted driving? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells us that “Anything that takes your attention away from driving can be a distraction. Sending a text message, talking on a cell phone, using a navigation system, and eating while driving are a few examples of distracted driving.” Why is it then that teens are so prone to distracted driving?

It’s no secret that most teens have some sort of relationship with technology. In schools we are expected to use technology for our assignments. We also manage our social lives through different apps and social media. Technology is also a great way to keep us organized and on top of when the next game is or that dreadful algebra test. Most of all, we use our phones to have fun and relieve stress after finishing that test! So, when teens get in a car, start driving, and hear that eye turning “ding” we can be tempted to use our phones. “What if it’s important? I’ll just check quickly. It won’t take more than a few seconds!” is what we tend to tell ourselves. Still it’s important that we understand this: an alarming number of traffic accidents are caused by using a phone while driving.

Let’s take a look at the facts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that in 2018 distracted driving was the cause of 2,841 motor vehicle crash fatalities. Among those killed: 1,730 drivers, 605 passengers, 400 pedestrians and 77 bicyclists. In the same year an estimated 400,000 people were injured due to distracted drivers. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute adds that, “High school students who reported frequent texting while driving were less likely to wear a seat belt, more likely to ride with a driver who had been drinking alcohol, and more likely to drink and drive.” Additionally, a National Occupant Protection Use Survey reported that phone use while driving is the highest among 16-24-year-old drivers. Making distracted driving accidents the highest among that group. So, how can teens avoid distracted driving?

We can avoid the dangers of distracted driving in multiple ways. Before driving you should complete any call or text before starting the car. You should also get directions or try to visualize the way to your destination before turning the key. Check in with friends or parents by pulling over to a safe place or after you arrive at your destination. Teens are also the best messengers to other teens! So, you should speak up when you see a friend driving while distracted. You can also help by sharing messages on social media that remind our peers not to drive while distracted. By keeping distractions away from us while driving we can prevent accidents and stories like that of Faith Cummings, who lost her best friend at eleven years old when a distracted driver rear-ended them. There’s also Khayra Amir’s story, who had gotten into 5 car accidents in a span of 8 months. As well as Sierra Burton and her family who were also rear-ended by a distracted truck driver.

Phones are not just about texting, social media, GPS, and music. They have the potential to draw our attention away from the road. As teens, we are susceptible to distracted driving and getting into accidents because of it. Even so, we can take action to avoid distracted driving and make our roads safer! For example, making calls before or after driving. When we’re not driving, we can also use social media to help other teens understand the importance of safe driving! Proving that teens can also be mature and responsible drivers. That way we can prevent the accidents that happen every year. After all, how else will we get to the movies, mall, or big game without safe driving?

Resource Links:

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/index.html

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving

https://www.teendriversource.org/teen-crash-risks-prevention/distracted-driving/cell-phones