Two Dangerous Forms Of Distracted Driving Among Teen Drivers

Most people know that distracted driving is dangerous. These dangers are especially high for teen drivers – the least experienced drivers on the road.

A study by the National Institutes of Health found that teen drivers that are distracted driving are seven times more likely to be involved in a car accident than those who are not distracted driving.

A total of 82 new drivers were included in the year-long study, with an average age of 16.48 years. The drivers’ cars were equipped with video recording equipment and sensors.

Over the year, 25 teens were involved in a car accident. Fourteen of those were involved in more than one accident.

The study revealed that both manual cellphone use, as well as reaching for objects while driving were associated with an increased crash risk:

• Manual cellphone use doubled the teen drivers’ risk of being involved in an accident
• Reaching for objects while driving was associated with a 7x increased crash risk

The leading cause of death and disability among people aged 15 to 20 in the United States is motor vehicle accidents. We know that teen drivers’ accident risk increase after the learning permit period ends, and that teen driver crashes increase in the summer months. This new study gives us more insight into teen driver behavior and what specific types of behavior teen drivers should avoid.

About Our #TxtFreeTX Scholarship Program

The law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner is sponsoring a scholarship for local high school students who pledge to not engage in texting while driving. To enter, students from one of four local high schools must write a statement no longer than 250 words, of why they are choosing to not to text and driving.

We have seen firsthand the devastating effects of texting while driving, and we are committed to doing everything we can to help prevent accidents caused by distracted drivers. Find out more about the scholarship program.