Prevent Teenage Driving Distractions

Teenage drivers may frequent places like Auto Repair Indianapolis more often than they should be doing.  Young drivers are more distracted than they were even ten years ago, and the rate of teenage drivers who admit to driving while distracted is astonishingly high.  Sure, we still see drivers of Palm Bay Mercury Grand Marquis driving while talking on their cell phones, and it is that exact kind of behavior that makes teenagers think it is ok to do.  There is nothing scarier than driving next to a new driver who is busy trying to text and drive while it is pouring down rain.  No matter how safe the vehicles are at Burlington Volkswagen, if the driver is distracted, then an accident is going to occur, and it is one that could easily be prevented.

Last month, AAA, Seventeen Magazine, and the Department of Transportation held National Two-Second Turnoff Day.  On September 17th, young drivers were urged to take a mere two seconds and turn off their cell phones before starting their vehicle’s engines.  When a survey conducted by AAA and Seventeen Magazine found that 86% of teenagers admit to driving while distracted and that 84% of them realized it was dangerous behavior, there is an obvious disconnect going on.  We all know that teenagers operate under the belief that they are invincible, but parents and other adult drivers on the road need to be good role models.

According to a representative at AAA, taking your eyes off the road for only two seconds doubles your risk of having an accident.  For teenagers who are of driving age, motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of death.  The surveys conducted also revealed that 36% of teenagers are aware that their distracted driving caused them to have a near-crash and 28% admit to texting while driving.  An impressive 60% admit to talking on a cell phone while driving.  It is frustrating to hear these statistics given the amount of vehicles that come equipped with Bluetooth or some other hands free system. 

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