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April is Distracted Driving Month
April is Distracted Driving Awareness month. Teenagers are at a high risk for being involved in a car crash
due to distracted driving. Getting behind the wheel for the first time is an exciting experience for a teen, but it
can also be a scary time for parents. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, about 963,000
drivers age 16-19 were involved in police-reported crashes in 2013. These crashes resulted in 383,000
injuries and 2,865 deaths.1
Data from the AAA study shows that distraction was a factor in nearly 6 out of 10 moderate-to-severe crashes
involving teen drivers. 1 This is 4 times as many as official estimates based on police reports. 1 Researchers
discovered that, in the 6 seconds leading up to a crash in nearly 1,700 videos, distraction was a factor in 58%
of crashes studied.1 89% of crashes during which the car left the road and 76% of rear-end crashes were due
to distraction.1
Listed below are the 7 most common forms of distraction leading to a crash by a teen driver1:
Interacting with one or more passengers: 15%
Cell phone use: 12%
Looking at something in the vehicle: 10%
Looking at something outside the vehicle: 9%
Singing/moving to music: 8%
Grooming: 6%
Reaching for an object: 6%
The fact that teen drivers have little experience driving means they are already at risk for crashing, even
without distractions.
Keeping teens safe behind the wheel
There are many things parents can do to help their teens avoid distracted driving.
Make sure you and your teens know your state’s Graduated Driving License Law and other
driving laws. In Virginia, laws state that drivers under age 18 may only have 1 passenger under
age 21 and all drivers are banned from texting.2
Establish rules and consequences to keep them from driving distracted. Check their phone logs
and only allow 1 passenger to ride with them.
Encourage your teens to change their cell phone voicemail message to let callers know that they
won’t talk while they’re driving and that they will call them back as soon as it is safe.
Teach your teens to drive defensively. Remind them that even though they don’t drive while
distracted, there are others who do.
Remind your teens that even a minor fender-bender can be deadly if a bicyclist or pedestrian is
involved. Talk with them about the very real consequences of hurting another person in a car crash.
Set a good example. Turn your phone off before you get behind the wheel and put it out of reach until
you reach your destination and can use it safely. Don’t multi-task or allow conversations with
passengers to take your focus off the road. You are your child’s most effective teacher.
For more information on how to help your teen avoid distracted driving, visit www.driveithome.org.
1.
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/aaa-distracted-driving-a-factor-in-60-percent-of-teen-crashes/31999634
http://wric.com/2015/03/25/distractions-behind-the-wheel-a-leading-cause-in-teen-driving-deaths/
2
Parents, talk to your teens. They will listen!