Teen deaths mount as texting and distracted driving becomes a problem

Parents, teachers and guardians of children throughout the great state of California really do not want to hear a call, of the day when their child receives his or her driver’s license, as teens are and can be a dangerous bunch when it comes to getting behind the wheel of a vehicle with little previous experience. While it provides a very good place of freedom to the teens who are privileged enough to have access to an expensive and cost inducing automobile, for many parents, it provides a sense of un comfort and a sense of helplessness. While the often impulsive nature of teens which can lead them to make bad choices while behind the wheel that leads to car accidents is bad enough, that worry is compounded by the introduction of handheld mobile devices such as smartphones and the distractions they cause..

While the use of iPhones, galaxy, and other full feature phones, provide lots of distraction when it comes to driving since there is so much information available to the drivers, while they are distracted, to access the internet… This is especially dangerous to talk and text is an issue for drivers of all ages, teens, who are typically incredibly social creatures, appear to be especially drawn to the distracting driving pattern and it is a problem. A recent study indicates that texting while driving is the biggest and greatest cause of unnecessary teen automobile and other driver deaths. yearly and long into annually it results in approximately 4,000+ teen deaths and that number is rising and it is responsible for more deaths than teen drunk driving. It is particularly dangerous because unlike some distractions for drivers that perhaps only involve those that are mental, visual or manual, texting involves all three.

The habit is one that appears to grow with age. Teens who are a bit older are more likely to participate in the behavior than those who are just learning to drive. In addition, boys admit to engaging in the activity more than girls.

Regardless of who participates in this behavior, if they cause an accident that hurts someone it is possible that they will face a civil personal injury lawsuit.

Source: Teensafe, “Study: Texting while driving now leading cause of death for teen drivers,” JANUARY 8, 2018