Survey Shows Teens Learn Texting-While-Driving Behavior from Adults
As Indiana auto accident lawyers, we have been very concerned about the high accident risks of texting while driving. Teen motorists in particular, are at particular risk for such behavior. In fact, according to the New York Times earlier this year, American teenagers sent and received a staggering average of 2,272 text messages per month, in the last three months of 2008. That works out to 80 messages a day. It’s fair to assume that at least a few of those messages were sent when the driver was behind the wheel.
Those numbers have been confirmed by a new Pew survey, which shows that at least a quarter of American teens between the age of 16 and 17, have texted while driving. At least 50 percent of teens aged between 12 and 17, say that they have been passengers in cars with an adult driver texting at the wheel. Experts are already speculating that the number of texting teen motorists may be actually much higher than the survey shows.
What is very worrying to Indiana personal injury lawyers is the number of teens who are used to their parents texting while at the wheel. Some of this parenting behavior, as vocalized by the teens in the study, is excessive. One teen told the surveyors that his father frequently texted while at the wheel, gripping the steering wheel with his knees, while using his hands to text. Other teens admitted that adult members of their family frequently and constantly indulged in text messaging while driving.
There are two causes for concern here
Large numbers of American teens admitted to text messaging while driving which, according to a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, increases the risk of an accident by 23 times
Many of our teens are being initiated into these driving practices simply by observing their reckless parents.
Teen motorists face enough pressure from peers. They don’t need to be exposed to dangerous driving practices by their parents. As Indiana auto accident lawyers, we hope that parents will take their responsibilities of being role models for their children more seriously.
