Distracted Driving A Leading Teen Killer
A recent study from Cohen Children’s Medical Center has found that distracted driving is at fault for more teen deaths than drunk driving. On average, more than 3,000 teenagers across the country are killed as a direct result from sending text messages in their car. On a yearly basis, about 2,700 teens are killed from alcohol-influenced driving.
Regular Driving Behavior
Perhaps the spike in teen texting and driving is because teens are likely to have the cell phone with them on a constant basis- whereas a teen may elect to drink and drive far less. What teens don’t realize is that every time they get behind the wheel with the cell phone, their chances of an accident skyrocket. Official statistics from the 2011 study from the same hospital revealed that drivers who text are 23 times more likely to be in a car accident.
Laws Aren’t Working
The research study also revealed that statewide laws to ban texting and driving are having little, if any, impact on reducing the behavior. In fact, 57% of teens that admitted to texting and driving on a regular basis were in states where the activity is outlawed. This supports findings from other studies, which is leading advocates and lawmakers to look for other solutions to the rampant use of cell phones while driving. Clearly bans aren’t working, so groups are looking to work together to create solutions that will encourage safe driving behavior and discourage teens from texting.
Fatal Outcomes
Car accidents as a result of distracted driving can be deadly for all involved. Injuries from texting and driving accidents are generally very serious and require many weeks or months of recovery, with some victims never bouncing back to normal.
If you or a family member has been the victim of a car accident, one of your first steps should be to hire an experienced attorney.
