Driving while Texting in Relation to Teens: The Consequences and Solutions
Driving While Texting in Relation to Teens
The Consequences and Solutions
One second someone is texting a friend, cracking a joke, the next they are in the backseat of the car in front of them. Eleven percent of accidents involving those aged eighteen to twenty are caused by the use and distraction of a cell phone. Raising awareness and educating those whom this may concern about the consequences of texting and driving can help reduce this statistic and prevent future lives from being affected. The Virginia legislature should pass a law prohibiting teen drivers from using cell phones while driving because teens are easily distracted, are inexperienced, and are more likely to cause accidents. The first issue at hand is that teens are easily distracted and have shorter attention spans than a fully matured adult. “Distracted drivers were involved in nearly eight out of 10 collisions or near crashes” (Thomas). This statistic proves that any distraction (i.e. a cell phone) affects, on average, eighty percent of drivers involved in accidents. “In a study at the University of Utah, 18-to-25-year-olds who talked on hands-free cell phones while in a driving simulator demonstrated slower driver-reaction time and riskier driving behavior, similar to that of a typical 70 year old” (Radsch, 18). In relation to distractions and their effects, even the slightest distraction can bring along a serious consequence. The daunting statistic is not that the reaction of a distracted driver slows, it is that the reaction time is close to that of a seventy year old person. “Earlier research has shown that teen drivers carrying one teen passenger face double the risk of a fatal crash as teens driving alone” (Copeland). A teen driver driving a car accompanied by a friend is often a deadly combination. The risk could increase three or even fourfold if the car is carrying additional passengers. The reason for this increase in risk is that teens will be more tempted to talk or engage with
The Consequences and Solutions
One second someone is texting a friend, cracking a joke, the next they are in the backseat of the car in front of them. Eleven percent of accidents involving those aged eighteen to twenty are caused by the use and distraction of a cell phone. Raising awareness and educating those whom this may concern about the consequences of texting and driving can help reduce this statistic and prevent future lives from being affected. The Virginia legislature should pass a law prohibiting teen drivers from using cell phones while driving because teens are easily distracted, are inexperienced, and are more likely to cause accidents. The first issue at hand is that teens are easily distracted and have shorter attention spans than a fully matured adult. “Distracted drivers were involved in nearly eight out of 10 collisions or near crashes” (Thomas). This statistic proves that any distraction (i.e. a cell phone) affects, on average, eighty percent of drivers involved in accidents. “In a study at the University of Utah, 18-to-25-year-olds who talked on hands-free cell phones while in a driving simulator demonstrated slower driver-reaction time and riskier driving behavior, similar to that of a typical 70 year old” (Radsch, 18). In relation to distractions and their effects, even the slightest distraction can bring along a serious consequence. The daunting statistic is not that the reaction of a distracted driver slows, it is that the reaction time is close to that of a seventy year old person. “Earlier research has shown that teen drivers carrying one teen passenger face double the risk of a fatal crash as teens driving alone” (Copeland). A teen driver driving a car accompanied by a friend is often a deadly combination. The risk could increase three or even fourfold if the car is carrying additional passengers. The reason for this increase in risk is that teens will be more tempted to talk or engage with