It is fairly widely accepted that as a whole, teen drivers are considered to be a hazard on the road. There are multiple reasons generally pointed to for this including distracted driving. But just how big of a problem is this? According to the results of a recent study, bigger than originally thought.
The study, which was conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety looked at 1,691 videos that recorded teen drivers and captured what they were doing prior to being involved in a crash. In almost 60 percent of the time driver distractions were involved. These distractions include:
- Texting and reviewing messages
- Talking on a cellphone
- Talking with others in the car
- Singing or moving to music
- Drivers taking their eyes off the road to look for something in the car
- Drivers looking away from the road at something outside of the car
The results of the study are noteworthy since before it was conducted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that distracted driving played a role in just 14 percent of crashes involving teen drivers.
Some traffic safety groups believe that as a result of the study teens should not be able to use their cellphones while driving at all and that the number of people they transport should be limited.
Whatever the distracting activity, if it causes a crash to occur it is possible that a personal injury lawsuit could be filed. When successful, an injured individual or his or her loved ones can recover financial compensation for the injuries or loss of life.
