Distracted Driving

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.