California Personal Injury Lawyers Surprised by Real Truth Concerning Teen Accident Risks and Cell Phones
Texting while driving has become a serious and widespread problem with teens, and increases the risk of serious injuries and car crashes. While Los Angeles personal injury lawyers have long been aware of these facts, a new study demonstrates the problem may be even worse than previously thought. The numbers of teens who practice texting while operating a vehicle is shocking, but even worse is how many of these teens are following in their parents footsteps.
Apparently, as many as 1/3 of teens between the ages of 16 & 17 have sent or received a text message while operating a car, according to a recent study done by Pew. Even more surprising is that about half of teens admit that an adult driver of a car they have ridden in was texting while driving. In teens aged 12 to 17, a full 48 percent admit that a parent has driven while texting while they were a passenger in the car.
The study conducted by Pew Internet and American Life Project is called Teens and Distracted Driving. 800 teens between the ages of 12 and 17 were surveyed during the time period of June to September of this year. This study was also based on research taken from 9 focus groups located in Atlanta, Denver, New York and Ann Arbor. This study has raised awareness of researchers, who are now very concerned about not only the high number of teens who text while driving, but the increasing number of parents that perform this risky activity in front of their teens while behind the wheel. Teenagers who participated in the survey painted a very frightening picture of the driving practices taking place in American, which has California personal injury lawyers even more concerned than before.
The participating teens made it evident that adults often text, talk on their cell phone, or fiddle with GPS devices while they are driving, setting a bad example for teen drivers. One teen boy in the study admitted something shocking about his father: He drives with his knees holding the steering wheel in place, so that his cell phone can be right in front of him while he uses it. Another teen stated that both his siblings and his parent text regularly while operating a vehicle.
At least a few teens seem to have the good sense to be disgusted with these dangerous practices, but it is still worrisome that so many teenage drivers are practicing what they have learned from their parents – texting or talking on a cell phone while operating a car. A number of the teens who participated in the survey confessed that they were anxious and worried for their safety when a parent texted while driving. Other teens believe it is no big deal to text and drive, because they have seen this so often in their parents that it seems like a normal practice.
Parents must learn to set better examples for their teens, who will be the adult motorists in a few years. Teens currently are the largest segment of the population that engages in this risky behavior while driving. Teens are raised to believe that their parents practice safety, so often they believe that engaging in texting or other risky behaviors while driving is normal. California car accident lawyers invite parents to set a good example for their children, and to avoid risky and dangerous behavior while driving.
The Reeves Law Group has offices across California, and is dedicated to representing personal injury victims, including victims of motor vehicle accidents. Please call us for a free consultation at (800) 644-8000.