Everyday, millions of people drive their cars to work, to school, and to other activities. Even though a number of good drivers are out on the road, bad drivers who distract themselves and don’t obey the laws cause many risks for everyone. Teens are the most likely to drive with other distractions. Distractions that are most prominent to teens include:
texting
cell phone use
eating and drinking
changing the radio station
driving with friends
high radio volume
applying makeup
fatigue
Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of death of American teens.Cell phone use, such as texting, calling, or using the internet is the most dangerous distraction for a driver. According to keepthedrive.com, a teen who is texting while driving is more impaired than a driver with a .08 BAC. Texting causes a driver to take her eyes off the road and put her focus elsewhere. Texting and driving increases the risk of a crash by 23 times. Even simply reaching for your phone while driving increases the risk of a crash by nine times. Having conversations make the driver pay less attention to the road and more to the conversation. Using the internet or other apps on a phone is extremely dangerous. It isn’t only dangerous for the driver, but for the other people on the road. Your eyes should always be on the road. The phone can wait until you get home. One text or one call is not worth your entire life.
Eating and drinking while behind the wheel causes many dangers. Teens who drive and eat at the same time distract themselves from the road and the other cars around them. When a driver reaches for something in the car, the distraction puts that driver at a disadvantage. If something were to happen, such as another inattentive driver swerving in and out of lanes, the driver who is eating would have a more delayed reaction. Changing the radio station, and having the radio at a high volume are also distractions for the driver.
Driving with friends can be a bad idea, especially if the driver knows that their friends will be a distraction to them. Conversations with the driver can distract them from the road and their surroundings. If a teen must drive their friends somewhere, they must lay down the rules for the car ride. The teen driver should make sure their friends’ conversations are not too loud and that they don’t behave in a distracting manner. Another big problem for teen girls is applying makeup. Many times, girls wake up late and don’t have time to do their makeup at home, so instead, they do it on the way to their destination. What some people don’t realize is that applying makeup can be just as dangerous as texting. Just like any other distraction, girls that drive while applying makeup move their focus from the road to something much less important and take their eyes off the road.
Fatigue is one distraction that is often overlooked. Fatigue slows your senses and takes your full focus off the road. According to nhtsa.gov tired teens behind the wheel cause about 1,550 deaths and 40,000 injuries each year. Teens who drive early in the morning to go to work or school are most likely to experience fatigue while driving. If a driver starts to feel fatigued, she should pull over rather then continue driving. If the drivers continued driving, there is the increased risk that they would fall asleep while behind the wheel.
Distracted driving is a growing problem for teens, especially with advancing technology. Some teens don’t realize the dangers they put themselves and others in. Distracted driving is dangerous for everyone on any road and should be prevented. Keepthedrive.com provides helpful information for all drivers for ways to be safe behind the wheel.
