Distracted Teen Drivers are worse than thought

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Distracted Teen Drivers are worse than thought

Although we all knew that distractions played a big role in teen car crashes, data revealed that it is much worse than we ever thought. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety analyzed nearly 1,700 videos that captured teen drivers in moments leading up to a car crash. The videos revealed that distractions were a factor in 6 out of 10 moderate to severe car crashes. The data proved that distractions play a role in car crashes four times the amount officials estimated based on police reports.

The videos came from cameras mounted in vehicles that show what is happening on the road as well as what the driver is doing simultaneously. AAA was able to look at more than 6,842 videos with the help of Lytx Inc., a company which uses videos to improve driver safety behaviors. The most common forms of distraction were talking with passengers in the vehicle or on the phone, texting, or reviewing messages. Other distractions included looking at something inside the vehicle (10%), looking outside away from the road (9%), singing or moving to music (8%), grooming (6%), and reaching for an object (6%).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had previously estimated that distraction only accounted for 14% of all teen driver crashes, but these videos revealed that distractions account for 58% of teen driver crashes. Due to the findings, laws need to change in order to protect teens from being distracted. Things such as restricting the number of passengers in cars and prohibiting cell phones may reduce the amount of accidents involving teens. Nearly 963,000 teen drivers were involved in car crashes (police-reported) in the US in 2013. Out of those crashes, 383,000 resulted in injuries and 2,865 resulted in death. Protect yourself and others on the road by staying focused and keeping distractions out of reach.

If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of a car accident, contact our law offices today for a free consultation.

Source: PostBulletin.com

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