Last updated April 12, 2019
According to an article on HealthNewsDigest.com, it is estimated that approximately 6,000 people are killed and 500,000 are injured each year because someone involved was texting, emailing, checking Facebook status, or chatting on their cell phones while they were driving.
Statistics
Here are some of the statistics given in the article. These are from the US government’s official “distracted driving” website:
- Using a cell phone when driving – whether in-hand or hands-free – delays a driver’s reaction as much as a blood alcohol level of .08%.
- Brain activity associated with safe driving is reduced by 37% when you divide your attention between your driving and your cell phone.
- Drivers interacting with their cell phones via hand-held methods are four times as likely to get into a serious (causing passenger/driver injury) accident than those who are not.
- It is estimated that 11% of US drivers on the road are talking on their cell phones at any given point during the day.
According to Dr. Joel Haber, a clinical psychologist says that texting while driving is a worse habit amongst teenagers than adults; however, while over 50% of teens surveyed admit to texting while driving, only 4% of the parents were aware they did it.
What you should do as a parent
- Be an example. You cannot expect your teens not to text while driving if you do not refrain yourself.
- Explain to your kids the seriousness of texting while driving and tell them to have a plan, like putting their cell in the back seat to avoid temptation.