National Teen Driver Safety Week started yesterday with its theme being 'Keep Your Hands on the Wheel; Your Eyes on the Road; and Your Thumbs Off Your Phone's Keypad.
According to the U. S Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2008, more than 3,750 teens ages 15 through 19 died in automobile crashes of all types, and almost 660, or 18 percent, of those were killed in crashes involving some form of distracted driving. All told, 4,457 teen drivers ages 15 to 19 were involved in fatal crashes in 2008, and 16 percent (692) were distracted at the time of the crash.
Distracted driving comes in many forms, from texting and talking on a cell phone, to eating and playing with a radio, CD player, or MP3 device, all too often the result is tragic. While no one is exempt from driving distractions offered by the electronic gizmos they are bringing with them into their vehicles, teens seem to be particularly susceptible to distraction by text-messaging.
A study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project reported that nearly half of the teens interviewed reported that they had been in a vehicle while the driver texted. All told, one in three teens told Pew researchers that they had texted while driving.
Take this week to better educate yourself and the teenagers in your life about this important safety issue nationwide. Schedule permitting, this week's blog articles will all focus on reducing teenage driving accidents.
For more information about teen driving safety, please visit www.nhtsa.gov; www.distraction.gov; and www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov.
For information about your rights after a Florida car accident, contact Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes. Mr. Noyes' Tampa Bay personal injury law firm--Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes--has been caring for clients after Florida automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents and other personal injury matters since 1955. We See You Through.
