Teens Warned about Dangers of Texting and Driving

 Posted on April 25, 2014 in Personal Injury

Texting and driving is never a good idea, even for the most experienced driver. When new teen drivers are involved though, the dangers of distracted driving poses a special risk to both them and others who share the road.

Schools and communities have long put forth the effort to warn teens about roadway dangers that cause car accidents. Now, as recently reported in a published article, a simulator shows teens how likely it is for an accident to happen if they decide to text and drive.

Texting and Driving Simulator

Even teens who have yet to obtain their driver's license have experienced a texting and driving simulator that shows them the dangers of attempting to text while driving. The simulator gave students the opportunity to see the consequences of choosing to text and drive in a controlled environment.

In one case, after just a few moments of operating the simulator while trying to text, a rear-end collision occurred because the operator was following the virtual car ahead too closely. Another case did not result in a crash, but the student realized that even taking her eyes off of the road for a few seconds could result in her swerving into other lanes of traffic. As a whole, students who used the simulator seemed to be sobered by the experience and said they would abstain from texting while driving as a result.

The simulator is part of the "Save a Life Tour," initiated by Lake Forest High School and Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, aimed at educating students about distracted driving. The presentation included students watching a short film about particularly tragic accidents that involved texting and driving.

Texting and Driving Equal to Drunk Driving

Officials involved in the program said that texting and driving falls into the same category as drinking and driving. Both acts are irresponsible to participate in while behind the wheel of a car. The tour manager said distracted driving threatens the driver's safety in three ways: visually, because their eyes are taken off of the road; manually, if their hands leave the steering wheel; and cognitively, because the driver's attention is diverted from the act of operating the vehicle. Cell phones rank as a primary distraction, especially when used for texting.

Sobering Statistics

The tour provided students with information on car accidents involving distracted driving. It is estimated that about 5,500 people are killed every year on roads across the country, in addition to the approximately 448,000 who are injured in motor vehicle accidents as a result of distracted driving. In addition, and perhaps the most troubling statistic, is that according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, car crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States.

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