If you are a parent of a teenager who drives or is about to drive a new survey by the AAA has to send shivers down your spine.Most of the teens ho took part in the survey also say they know they shouldn't do it, but do so anyway. What do you think? Have you talked to your kids about distracted driving? Have you talked on the phone or texted while you were driving with them in the car?
Here is the text of the news release from AAA: Teenagers understand that sending a quick text message, playing with the radio, or eating while driving is dangerous. Almost nine in ten teenage drivers (86 percent) have driven while distracted, even though 84 percent of teen drivers know it’s dangerous.
Seventeen magazine and AAA recently set out to discover what risky behaviors teen drivers were engaging in behind the wheel and how they justify the dangerous behavior. Featured in the September issue of Seventeen, the results are based on a survey conducted in May of nearly 2,000 male and female teen drivers ages 16 to 19.
Of those surveyed, 73 percent have adjusted their radio/CD/mp3 player; 61 percent engaged in eating; and 60 percent talked on their cell phone while driving. Reasons teens gave for engaging in these behaviors were varied: 41 percent thought their actions would only take a split second; 35 percent thought they would not get hurt; 34 percent said they were used to multitasking; and 32 percent thought nothing bad would happen to them.
“It’s great that so many teens are able to identify bad driving habits that will put them and their friends in danger, but the bigger challenge we face now is to give them the tools they need to stop driving distracted,” says Ann Shoket, editor in chief of Seventeen magazine. “It’s our responsibility to keep our 13 million readers out of harm’s way.”
More than one-third of teens surveyed said (36 percent) they had been involved in a near-crash because of their own or someone else’s distracted driving. Even as passengers, teen drivers worry about distracted driving. Nearly four out of ten surveyed (38 percent) said they were afraid of getting hurt when they were a passenger of a distracted driver.
“Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among teen drivers and the proliferation of distracted driving is a challenge all drivers must face head-on,” said Tom Chestnut, President/CEO of AAA Western and Central New York. “Due to their lack of driving experience and penchant to take risks, it’s imperative that teen drivers – like all drivers – remain focused on driving while behind the wheel.”
According to AAA, taking your eyes off of the road for two seconds doubles your risk of getting into a crash. On September 17th, Seventeen magazine, AAA and the Department of Transportation are urging participation in the first Seventeen “Two-Second Turnoff Day” by asking drivers to take two seconds to turn off their cell phones before driving. Instead of spending two seconds looking away from the road while driving distracted, use those two seconds to turn off your phone before you get behind the wheel.
Nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving a distracted driver, and more than a half million were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
For more information on how AAA can help keep teens safe on the road, visit www.AAAdriverprograms.com.
Seventeen (www.seventeen.com) is the best-selling monthly teen magazine, reaching more than 13 million readers every month. In each issue, Seventeen reports on the latest in fashion, beauty, health and entertainment, as well as information and advice on the complex real-life issues that young women face every day. Seventeen is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com).
As Upstate New York’s largest member services organization, AAA provides nearly 880,000 members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive related services. Since its founding in 1900, AAA has been a leading advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. Visit AAA at www.AAA.com.
As Upstate New York’s largest member services organization, AAA provides nearly 880,000 members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive related services. Since its founding in 1900, AAA has been a leading advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. Visit AAA at www.AAA.com.
