The Dangers Of Teens Texting While Driving

Texting while driving is one of the most dangerous behaviors a person can engage in, according to auto accident attorneys Nadrich & Cohen. This presents society with a very particular safety problem, since its most inexperienced drivers are also the most likely to text while driving.

A 2016 study found a direct correlation between younger age and more driving while distracted by a cell phone. The study also found a direct correlation between driving while distracted by a cell phone and accident rates: more distraction, more accidents. Drivers who frequently drove while distracted by a cell phone were found to be over four times as likely to report an accident than the median driver in the study. A 2017 study also found that driver distraction increases the accident rate of drivers under 30 and above 65 much more than the rate of middle-aged drivers.

How Prevalent Is The Problem?

A 2015 study found that 38% of high school drivers reported texting while driving. The problem is getting worse, too. A study published in January 2019 observed 1.1 percent of drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 driving while manipulating cell phones in 2009. 3.9 percent of drivers 16-24 were observed driving while manipulating cell phones in 2017. The study reflected an overall trend in society which was also highlighted by a 2019 study which found that, from 2014 to 2018, the rate of drivers manipulating cell phones rose from 2.3 percent to 3.4 percent. A 2016 study found that 9% of all drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 who were in an accident were operating or looking at a cell phone when the accident occurred.

Why Do People Take The Obvious And Dangerous Risk Of Texting While Driving?

The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) says that the fear of missing out on what friends are saying and doing, and anxiety over separation from the cell phone, the central hub of most peoples’ social lives, are driving the phenomenon. SRA says that texting while driving increases one’s accident risk by 6.1 times.

Why Is Texting While Driving Dangerous?

A 2014 study found that reading or typing texts increases lane deviations, slows reaction time and increases the amount of time drivers aren’t looking at the road. A 2003 study found that the distracted human brain can fail to adequately understand and process even visual information that a person is actively viewing.