Distracted Driving on the Rise
by admin on 13/12/11 at 8:38 am
A survey released last week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration poses bad news for highway safety. Texting by drivers continues to increase , expecially among younger drivers, despite all of the recent publicity and new laws banning texting while driving. About 50% of drivers between ages 21 and 24 admit to texting while driving. This age group recognizes that texting while driving is dangerous, but believes that it is dangerous only when others are doing it.
We’ve all seen these drivers. They are oblivious to their surroundings. They may be driving in the passing lane going 20 miles below the speed limit and have no clue that there is a line of cars behind them. Whenever I pass such a vehicle, the driver is either talking on the mobile phone or texting. It’s maddening.
Thirty five states ban texting while driving, yet one in every 100 drivers on the road is texting, emailing, searching the internet, or talking on the phone. So, what is the solution? First, parents need to stop setting a bad example for their kids. Kids who’ve watched mom and/or dad text or check emails while driving are going to do the same when they drive. They’ve learned from their own parents that this is an acceptable behavior. Young drivers already over estimate their abilities. They don’t need to be taking their eyes off the road to read a text or email. Parents need to get tough about this. Take away the cell phone or the car the first time your did breaks your rules about using the phone while driving. Get an app that disables your child’s cell phone when the vehicle is traveling above a certain speed limit. These are just a couple of options. Neither will make you popular with your child. But, would you rather be unpopular or mourning the loss of your child?
