Teen Drivers & Car Accidents – How to Stay Safe

DISTRACTIONS THAT CAUSE TEEN DRIVING ACCIDENTS

Federal researchers recently unveiled a study that showed about 11 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities result from distracted driving. However, as a new report released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety demonstrates, 6 out of 10 moderate and severe teenager auto accidents are caused by driver distraction. The 60% figure is higher than what many automotive safety researchers previously had estimated. “The in-depth analysis provides indisputable evidence that teen drivers are distracted in a much greater percentage of crashes than we previously realized,” said president and CEO of the AAA safety group, Peter Kissinger

What Causes Teenager Driving Distraction?
The long list of distraction culprits that cause teen auto accidents should concern parents, especially the distractions that involve the use of technology.

Text Messaging
Bowing your head to type a text message into a cell phone is a sure fire way to end up with a mangled vehicle. A study conducted by a Canadian research firm a few years back concluded that a driver who has a blood alcohol level of .10 was more in control of a vehicle than the control a completely sober adult had of a vehicle, with his head lowered to send text messages. Many state governments have passed laws banning texting and driving, which should be incentive enough for teenagers to stop the dangerous practice.

Surfing Online
Teens are enamored with social media and other entertainment options presents online. From watching YouTube videos to posting on Facebook, teens cannot wait until they get home to interact digitally.
They have to do it from behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
Surfing the web and making a left turn into a busy street mix about as well as oil and water.

Cell Phones Still a Problem
The explosion in popularity of text messaging and communicating with friends via Twitter and Facebook does not mean teens have stopping calling friend from a cell phone. Once considered the leading cause of all driver distracted auto accidents, cell phones remain a major distraction for teens who look away from the road to type in a telephone number.

Here is an informative visual guide from Denver auto accident attorneys, Tenge Law on Teen Drivers & Car Accidents: Common Distractions And Tips To Stay Safe