Filed under: Etc., Safety, First Drive
Misguided youth: Teen driving distractions
Many have observed the recent uptick in teenage drivers having accidents while text messaging, often with tragic consequences. Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions have recently carried out research that shows texting to be the list-topping distraction among the more than 900 teens they polled. SADD and Liberty Mutual have been collecting data for seven years about teen behavior, attitudes and decision making while driving. They've amassed a treasure trove of information about what kids do while they should be driving, and how effective their parental units are at laying out and enforcing rules. Rather than merely yell about the sky falling while burying their heads in the sand, Liberty Mutual and SADD have developed a set of recommendations for parents when it comes to teen drivers. The suggestions are all good, and mostly common sense; things such as being familiar with your state's graduated licensing laws, following through with consequences for flouting rules, you know, all the stuff we used to be worried about our parents doing. We hope the effort has some effect - even without the distraction of electronic toys while driving, teenagers are the least experienced drivers on the road, and thus need to be the most vigilant about having all their facilities concentrated on the task of keeping a 3,000 pound potential weapon in control.
follow the jump to see what other top distractions affect teen drivers
[Source: SADD]
PRESS RELEASE
Teens Admit Text Messaging Most Distracting While Driving
SADD Chairman Stephen Wallace available to discuss teen decision-making behind the wheel
BOSTON, July 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Recent teen driving tragedies involving text messaging while driving are evidence that driving distractions are becoming as prevalent as drinking and driving in terms of inhibiting teens' driving abilities.
According to recent teen driving research by SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, instant and text messaging while driving leads the list as the biggest distraction while driving for teens.
In a national survey of more than 900 teens with driver's licenses from 26 high schools, teens rated the following behaviors or activities as "extremely" or "very" distracting:
Instant or text messaging while driving - 37 percent
[The teen driver's] emotional state - 20 percent
Having several friends in the car - 19 percent
Talking on a cell phone - 14 percent
Eating or drinking - 7 percent
Having a friend in the car - 5 percent
Listening to music - 4 percent
SADD and Liberty Mutual have collaborated on seven years of research on teens' attitudes, behaviors, and decision-making behind the wheel. Study results include data on cell phone use while driving, alcohol and drug use, seat belt use, and speeding, as well as comparative data between teens and parents.
SADD Chairman and CEO Stephen Wallace and SADD Executive Director Penny Wells are available to further discuss study results, including texting while driving and teen behavior in general behind the wheel.
What Can Concerned Parents Do?
While most states have adopted or are adopting legislation around teen driving, the restrictions of teen driving laws vary from state to state. Based on the extensive research over the past seven years, SADD and Liberty Mutual have set forth the following all-encompassing recommendations for concerned parents of teenagers.
-- Know your state's Graduated Driver License laws and restrictions,
including unsupervised driving, time of day, and passengers in the car,
and enforce them. The Governors Highway Safety Association provides a
description of each state's laws at http://www.statehighwaysafety.org/.
-- Set family rules about driving and outline clear consequences for
breaking the rules. Liberty Mutual and SADD suggest some rules if they
are not covered by your state laws:
-- No use of alcohol or other drugs
-- No cell phone use, including text messaging
-- Limit or restrict friends in the car without an adult
-- No driving after 10 p.m.
-- Keep two hands on the wheel - No distractions while driving,
including eating, changing CDs, handling iPods, and putting on
makeup
-- Enforce consequences if a family rule is broken. The SADD/Liberty
Mutual studies show that parental enforcement bolsters safe driving
habits. More than half (52 percent) of teens who say their parents are
unlikely to follow through on a consequence if they break a driving law
report they talk on a cell phone while driving, compared to only 36
percent of teens who believe their parents would indeed penalize them.
-- Do as you say. Exhibit behaviors in the car that you would like your
teen to emulate. And, don't engage in behaviors you have established as
off limits for your teen. While young people say overwhelmingly their
parents are or will be the biggest influence on how they drive, almost
two thirds (62 percent) of high school teens say their parents talk on
a cell phone while driving; almost half (48 percent) say their parents
speed; and almost a third (31 percent) say their parents don't wear a
safety belt.
-- Sign a teen driving contract. SADD's Contract for Life can be found at
http://www.sadd.org/contract.htm.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Greek Boy 2:15PM (7/22/2007)
If Ford's new Sync system works as good as they say, then maybe that will help matters. You will be able to say the txt you want to send and it will read back what you get as well. I wonder how it will handle cryptic messages though, like..
FWIW, tho, u, etc.
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bathtub gin 2:30PM (7/22/2007)
I guess I was lucky, learning how to drive when the only distractions were the stereo and hot girls in white VW Cabriolets (or whatever they drove). Funny, it didn't seem like that long ago, until now.
BTW - didn't SADD used to be the acronym for Students Against Drunk Driving? Did they change their name?
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Mal Fuller 2:38PM (7/22/2007)
When I was a teenage driver, I am pleased to recall that I had driving distractions that felt a whole lot better than receiving and sending text messages. I never did crash either.
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CarlyS 2:55PM (7/22/2007)
Teen Driving statistics are staggering. Most states have enacted better graduated teen driving laws which have had a positive impact. But statistics show that inexperience is still one of largest causes in new driver crashes. I recently saw this article on the Weary Parent site and thought it was worth sharing. It is a possible simple solution to help experienced drivers be aware that a new driver is behind the wheel.
Rookie Driver - Keeping New Drivers Safe
One of the best ways to help keep new teen drivers safe is by giving them a way to be identified as new drivers by others on the road. It has been a long standing tradition in Europe to identify cars being driven by “Learners” with a very easy to identify “L” sticker. By alerting other drivers on the road of the new drivers, experienced drivers can give them more room, be more cautious and a little more understanding when minor courtesy mistakes are made.
Rookie Driver.Net is bringing the awareness to the US, using a fun, teen accepted, car magnet that says Rookie Driver. Afterall, being “Rookie of the Year” is cool in sports, and to teens Rookie Driver is more acceptable than Student Driver or other terms.
The Rookie Driver web site also includes an entire page of teen driving safety links. Definitely worth a look if you have a rookie driver or one who is soon to be.
I just returned from a trip to Baltimore MD and saw dozens of these Rookie Driver magnets---I thought it was great knowing there was a novice driving...it made me more cautious. As an experienced driver, I'm all for being alerted of a new driver, in an effort create safer travel for all.
Source: http://www.wearyparent.com/rookie-driver-keeping-new-drivers-safe/
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Barney 3:05PM (7/22/2007)
Adults are more experienced in adapting to distractions. Perhaps, but the distractions still make us bad drivers. i agree "hands free" do make the distractions controlable but found the "off button" works so much better.
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andrewchristesson 3:11PM (7/22/2007)
This is the most politically correct garbage I've ever heard. Parental units? Are parents really so stupid that they need some organization to tell their kids to pay attention to the road? I'm twenty years old. When I learned to drive I knew to not do things that distract me so bad that I can't watch the road. And kids, you are smart enough to operate a 4000 lb vehicle at 70 mph but you're not smart enough to know you should watch the road and get off the phone? I am responsible for what I do, so is everybody else. Do we need some organization to tell us to pay attention? Or do we need to be smarter and do what we already know to do? Common sense goes a long way
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Barney 5:59PM (7/22/2007)
"Are parents really so stupid that they need some organization to tell their kids to pay attention to the road?"
Yes! If parents domineered their kids, then they wouldn't allow them to drive. Look how you turned out AND with your parents holding your hand all the way:)
whofan 6:26PM (7/22/2007)
"Common sense goes a long way"
You will find as you get older, many adults you looked up to and were taught to respect don`t have the common sense you have.
I`m 39 years and still respect my elders and in some cases disappointed to find out they aren`t as mature as I am.
I use to think jerks were inmature kids that grew out of it before adulthood.
My hats off to you for having common sense. Its a hard concept for some people to figure out.
Alessandro Merolla 3:24PM (7/22/2007)
Oh, in Italy it's an enormous problem for who drives car or motorbike, but Government sleeps...
http://dallapartedichiguida.blogosfere.it/2007/06/cellulare-salta-la-patente.html
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torpeau 3:40PM (7/22/2007)
Almost been in two accidents in the last week because drivers were looking straight ahead while talking on a phone and were ignoring what was happening around them. Get rid of the damned phones in cars!
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andy 6:36PM (7/22/2007)
put them on motorcycles. makes you learn real quick not to be distracted.
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... 6:49PM (7/22/2007)
lol, give them manual transmissions. That will teach them not to be distracted.
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Jonathan Fung 7:36PM (7/22/2007)
Text messaging: an activity that becomes twice as dangerous on an iPhone, since you require both hands to text properly on that thing. And if you're using both hands to text...well, who needs hands to steer anyway?
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TechnoDestructo 9:31PM (7/22/2007)
Manual transmission. That is the solution to a lot of these problems.
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Barney 9:50PM (7/22/2007)
I drove alongside a car screaming in too low a gear, with the driver on a cell phone. Being on the phone seems to take priority in many cases.
ddrhero 2:15PM (7/23/2007)
i'm 19, and when i'm in the car, the biggest distraction i have is my MP3 player. it's in my cupholder, right below(but still out of the way mind you) of my shifter. i've set it up so i can change the song without taking my eyes off the road, and i only look at it during a red light.
everyone in my family also knows not to call or text me while i'm driving. if i do get a call, i pull over, call them back, and scream at them.
i almost always have 2 hands on the wheel(i like to pretend i'm an F1 driver lulz) and i NEVER eat while driving. Burger King parking is free for a reason.
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John 5:36PM (7/24/2007)
Of course they use their cell phones, usually paid for by their parents, to send text messages racking up bills, usually paid for by their parents, all while listening to Ipods, usually paid for by their parents, while driving cars usually paid for by their parents. See the trend?
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Tyo 11:58AM (7/31/2007)
5 Girls in Fairport NY were killed a few weeks ago. It turned out, from the phone companies record, that the driver of the car had recieved a text minutes before their accident, which happened when they tried to pass a car and went head on into a semi. 5 girls in an SUV, the driver texting, and passing cars. Its so sad
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