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Teen drivers distracted by...texting?
Filed under: Teens, Health & Safety: Babies, Gadgets
There's nothing quite like sitting in your car at a stop light and doing the requisite "who is sitting next to me" look at the people around you and realizing that one of the other drivers is text messaging.Even better, the driver is a teenager.
In a study by the Liberty Mutual Research Institute, 37 percent of teens said that text messaging was "extremely or very distracting" while driving.
Here's a hint, kids: Put down the cell phone and pay attention to the road.
Fifty countries have laws about cell phone usage and driving and three US states have similar rules. That means that in most states, including the one I live in, you're free to do what you want!
One study said that driver inattention counted for 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes. Personally, if I found out that someone was text messaging and caused an accident with me, they better start running.
Should we have laws about cell phones in cars or is outlawing texting while driving enough?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
10-25-2006 @ 11:44AM
Lea said...You can bet we'll be checking Baby A's mobile bill for texting and punishing appropriately. I can't think of much that's more dangerous.
But, we'll seem pretty hypocritical. My husband has one of those phone/moblie computer combinations, and he not only places and receives calls, but *reads email* while driving. It makes me crazy.
I've begged him to stop, and asked him never to do it with Baby A in the car. But he won't.
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10-25-2006 @ 12:40PM
Ginny said...I DO think it should be against the law to talk on a cell phone while driving. It's just as distracting as driving drunk, I think. The other day, I was driving down a 6 lane highway in rush hour traffic going 50 MPH and a lady, who was on her cell phone, slammed on her brakes; ended up stopped in the middle of the intersection, with me right behind her having veered left and the truck in back of me, having veered right. Apparently she thought the light was red. She didn't bother to even hang up when she realized she was in the middle of the intersection. (I imagine she was complaining about the noise from my horn interrupting her phone call). Even a guy crossing the street gave her a dirty look. I don't think her brain could process her converstation and driving at the same time. A good example of someone not paying a damn bit of attention to driving. She's lucky the other guy and I were focusing on driving.
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10-25-2006 @ 2:26PM
ann adams said...Didn't California finally pass a cell phone law?
I don't talk and drive and I can't imagine texting (which I hate anyhow). Once in a while I'll make a fast call at a long light to tell someone I'm two minutes away so be ready to go. Other than that, no way.
I'm not sure if we need the cell phone law though. I think there are laws on the books covering them along with doing one's nails and reading the newpaper or email. They're all unsafe driving practices. We can't do much about the distraction of kids but we don't have to add any other distractions to the mix.
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10-25-2006 @ 3:19PM
Christine said...Not a teenager. But, *raises hand* guilty.
Totally. But yes.. it is distracting. That is what stop lights are for though.
Talking on the phone though.. I think it is mostly the same as talking to someone eles in the car....
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10-26-2006 @ 2:32PM
Ben said...There should be laws and harsh penalties. Texting while driving is extremely dangerous!!
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