New Research Survey Shows That Teens Need To Work On Staying Focused While Driving

There are many teen drivers on the road in all fifty states. When parents first allow their kids to start driving, they need to really make sure that their kids are mature enough to handle a two ton vehicle because it is such a huge responsibility.
A new survey was distributed by insurance giant State Farm. The survey found many things that point to the fact that teen drivers pose a larger threat than other age segments of drivers on the road today. Teens do not have the same reaction time as older drivers do. This can be a game changer.
Teens often allow themselves to become distracted while they are driving. The survey asked 652 teens if they texted while driving and an astounding 57 percent of the respondents admitting to doing so while they drive. This shows that there is a huge problem and that teens who drive can be a danger to themselves and other drivers who are on the road at the same time as well.
In 2010, many states began to enact laws banning the use of cell phones while driving. However, their efforts have not really positively impacted teen drivers. Most teens avoid following the rules because they have rebellious spirits and think that what they are doing is innocent and that their actions will have no negative consequences at all.
A survey found that only 35 percent of teens said that texting while driving can lead to serious accidents or fatalities. 57 percent of teens thought that drunk driving would lead to accidents so they do not see the similarity between the two at all which shows a lot. When a driver is impaired from drinking alcohol their mind often wanders and they become distracted. Many drunk drivers nod off and fall asleep or have trouble seeing where the lines on the road are so they weave in and out of traffic and cause accidents. If a teen driver suddenly becomes distracted while they are driving because they are texting someone then they can easily become involved in an automobile accident.
Parents are the first line of defense when it comes to this issue. It is crucial for parents to set a good example for their children. Bluetooth devices can easily work with many different types of cell phones however they cannot text. It is important for drivers to be able to see the fact that their behavior can impact the lives of others.
Educating teens on this topic is a good idea for parents regardless of the age of the teens who live in their household. Parents are typically in control of their young teen driver’s cell phone so they can take away the phone if they see that their child has been sending and receiving text messages while driving.
Many teens have been tragically killed while sending text messages. One woman’ son did not even finish the first sentence of a text message to his friend before he lost control of the car that he was driving and hit a tree and was killed upon impact.
Automobile accidents take about one second to occur. Many teens find it nearly impossible to be able to correct their steering quickly enough so that they can avoid a collision. Most teens end up hitting something head on. In these kinds of accidents, teens can die quickly due to a severe brain injury.
Technology has become very advanced even since 2009. Mostly every trend river has access to a cell phone that they can use to make phone calls, send text messsages, take photos, and even surf the Internet with. These things are huge distractions because teens want to be multi-taskers and be social 24 hours a day. They do not fully understand risk and consequences until it is too late. It is also a good idea for parents to limit the number of passengers that their teen driver allows with them in the car. Most teens who are over the age of 16 are in high school so they want to drive their friends around. This in and of itself can be a huge distraction that leads to tragedy.
For example, if a girl in the back seat gets a text message from someone and shows it to the driver while he or she is driving then a distraction could occur. Conversations can be a huge distraction themselves because they take he mind off of driving sometimes.
More pressure needs to be put on teen drivers so that they do the right thing. Cell phones are great tools in emergencies but they should be turned off at all times when a person is driving. Teens are very inexperienced at operating a motor vehicle so they start out with a huge disadvantage. Adding distractions into the mix can only add more heart ache and problems to the equation.