Put down the phone while driving
Published 2:43 pm Sunday, September 7, 2014
There’s something akin to a tractor
beam on today’s phones. We just can’t seem to put them down — even while we drive.
There is, of course, no excuse, yet drivers always seem to find it necessary to pick up the phone.
Don’t point the finger of blame too far, though. There are few among us who haven’t picked up the phone while driving.
Whether texting, on Facebook or on Twitter, it’s all dangerous.
A recent study by the Governors Highway Safety Association found that teens are most likely to be distracted during a fatal crash. In those fatal crashes, 57 percent of the time it was the teenage driver who died, according to “Distracted & Dangerous.”
There’s no surprise there — most young folks have grown up attached to their electronics. The report claims that 78 percent of teens own a cellphone and 37 percent of them have smartphones.
But it’s our job as parents and adults to set an example for our teenage drivers. That means that we, too, have to stay off our phones.
“Always be the driver you want your teen to be,” the report quoted a researcher as saying.
Driver fatalities involving 15- to 20-year-olds decreased 49 percent from 2003 to 2012, but vehicle accidents remain the No. 1 killer for the age group, according to the report. Despite only accounting for 6 percent of licensed drivers, teenage drivers were involved in 9 percent of all fatal crashes and 13 percent of accidents reported in 2012.
Not only is it dangerous to text and drive, it’s also illegal. The same goes for social networking and driving.
In addition, it’s illegal to use a cellphone at all in a school zone.
Newly licensed teens are better informed, thus more likely to drive without distractions, the report says. The numbers show there’s still plenty of room for improvement, though.
The report lists several initiatives to make driving safer for teens. But every initiative should begin at home.
Lead the way. Be the example. Put down your phone when you’re behind the wheel.
It’s not just your life at stake, but also the lives of our young drivers.
