Teens, Texting and Driving Accidents

How many times have you heard yourself say: be careful while you are driving, no more than one friend in the car, make sure you stay within the speed limit, take local roads, always wear a seatbelt, never drink and drive, keep your eye on the road at all times, do not eat while you are driving, do not surf channels on the radio, or do not use your cell while you are driving?  

Know the Facts about Texting and Driving Accidents! 

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Allstate Foundation 

Car accidents are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, accounting for 36% of all deaths in this age group and approximately 35,000 teen fatalities in the past five years.  

Texting while driving makes you 4 times more likely to cause a crash  

Approximately 65% of all teen passenger deaths have occurred while another teen was driving   

About 50 percent of teens admit to text messaging while driving; a frightening statistic that now competes with drinking and driving in terms of danger and incidence.   

If that is not too much to wrap your mind around, more than 1 trillion text messages were sent worldwide last year. Texting is here to stay! 

According to the AAA Foundation and other organizations there is increasing research that shows teenage drivers who spend more time talking with their parents about driving exhibit less dangerous driving behavior.  Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is quoted as saying "The research and our experience tells us that the earlier we can get parents engaged in this dialogue and the longer we can keep them engaged, the more likely their teens will be safer drivers."   

So then what exactly is the conversation we as parents need to have with our teen drivers about personal safety?  It is likely not a single conversation as much as a series of conversations, experts say, and it needs to begin earlier than many folks think. Dr. Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE, Scientific Director of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at CHOP, says that he and his wife started talking about driving when his son began sitting in the front seat of the car. He recommends narrating what you experience as a driver while it is happening.  For example, “That guy is about ready to change lanes and he hasn't even signaled or, he is driving way too close to our car.” It will help your child become more aware and experience things as they are happening.  

In order for us to have meaningful discussions with our kids about safe driving, we must educate ourselves about the realities of teenage driving. Many folks think drunk driving is the leading cause of accidents among teens.  Experts say that speeding, distractions and driver mistakes, are way bigger problems. However, most of all we as parents must be an example to our teens. Several studies, together with ones by AAA and Allstate foundations, found that many parents take a "do as I say, not as I do" approach toward their teens and driving. They recognize that talking on cell phones, texting or even breaking the law is dangerous; but large percentages admit to doing these things while their children are in the car.  It is recognized as one of the most important factors toward safe teenage driving.  

According to experts, many parents assume that once their child completes the permit period the parental role ends. Durbin claims this just is not so. "There's nothing magical that happens to the teen once they get their license and can drive independently in a vehicle. That initial period of driving alone is when they're at their ‘highest lifetime risk.’" Riding with your teen periodically lets you assess how he is doing. Ongoing conversations combined with strong parental involvement, might be our best course toward a safer future for our teens.  Remember, you always want to be safe, not sorry.