Name: Gabriel Steffler
From: Frisco, Texas
Votes: 0
Steffler 2
Gabe
Steffler
November
15,
2019
Distracted
Driving, A Leading Cause of Teenage Auto Accidents
A
teen driver in rural Texas collided with a church minibus on March
30, 2017 and killed 13 people. The accident occurred on a two-lane
road about 75 miles west of San Antonio, Texas. The driver
apologized after the crash and admitted that he had been texting
while driving. A witness had seen the driver of the truck swerving
and crossing the center line prior to the collision. The witness
called the sheriff’s office of two different counties while
following the truck and reported that the police needed to get the
driver off of the road before he killed someone. But the response
was too late. Jack Dillon Young, 20 years old, from Leakey, Texas
had collided head on with a church minibus and killed 13 people.
The
driver, Jack Young, was quoted as saying “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.
I was texting.” The collision occurred on a curve where the speed
limit was posted as 65 miles per hour. Twelve people died at the
scene, according to authorities. And another bus passenger died at a
San Antonio hospital. It is unclear if the minibus had suitable
passenger seat belts. The passengers on the bus were returning from
a multiple day retreat. The First Baptist Church of New Braunfels,
Texas lost 13 beautiful lives that day.
In
2017, distracted driving was reported in crashes that killed 3,166
people (8.6 percent of all fatalities). Distraction was also
reported to be a key factor in 58% of crashes involving drivers ages
16 to 19 years old, according to video footage in a 2018 study on
moderate to severe crashes. Distracted driving can include talking
on a hand-held phone, texting on a phone, or using social media apps
while driving. All teens are educated in drivers ed of the
dangers of using a phone while driving. But many choose to use them
anyway.
Families
can manage the dangerous risk of crashes and death by following some
basic guidelines. Drivers should focus on driving their vehicle and
paying attention to other drivers and hazards on the road at all
times while driving a vehicle. Drivers should not talk, text, use
social media, mess with the radio, eat, or do anything that can take
their attention away from the wheel of the car. Drivers should
always follow the speed limit and watch for road signs. Parents
should also model the safe driving guidelines by not using a cell
phone while driving. Teenage drivers will model the behavior of
their parents in many cases although they are much more inexperienced
and unable to multi-task effectively while driving a vehicle.
Parents
should also limit the number of peer passengers in the vehicle with
their teen driver. Two or more passengers can increase the risk of a
fatal crash with a teenager driving. The best approach is a driver
that is attentive and focused on the road. Parents should also
refrain from calling and texting their teen drivers when they know
the driver is behind the wheel. Many times the driver might be
trying to respond to a parent that is calling or texting, but this
can place the teen driver at a high risk for a crash.
Parents
and teenage drivers need to know that facts about driving. It is
important for anyone on the road to take safety seriously. We can
all work together to make the roads safer by respecting the rules of
the road and making smart decisions.
