That Call Or Text Can Wait

Our phones are awesome, and they’re only getting more awesome as the years go by, and this isn’t something that’s really being debated. However, as our phones turn more and more into tiny supercomputers kept in our pockets or purses, they also become more likely to draw us in. People are becoming addicted to their technology, their constant connectedness, and their communication, and this is growing into a pretty huge hazard on the road.

For young drivers in particular, cell phone use while driving has been extremely impactful. 25% of teens, according to a study conducted at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, respond to a text message one or more times every time they get behind the wheel, and it’s this type of distracted driving causes an average of around 3,000 motor vehicle crash fatalities per year in the United States alone. In accidents resulting in teen driver fatalities, it was found that in 11% of all teen auto accident fatality cases, the teen who suffered the crash was using his or her cell phone immediately prior to its occurrence.

In another alarming statistic outlined here, in the year 2013, 12% of all distracted driving fatalities were experienced by teens, which is important to remember, is only a 3 year age range. Those of you aged 16-19 were responsible for 12% of all distracted driving fatalities encompassing all demographics and age ranges, showing how a combination of distraction and inexperience is a really dangerous one.

VIDEO: Friends Don’t Text Friends When They Are Driving!

Adult Distracted Driving Statistics

It’s absolutely not only teens who are the problem, and adults can be just as guilty of distracted driving. Where adults do have an advantage, however, is that they often have the experience to get themselves out of dangerous situations if they should begin to occur, or they know to put the phone down, but they still contribute to the ever-increasing number. Drivers in their 20’s make up 27% of all distraction related auto accident fatalities, meaning the numbers do go down once a person is out of their teens, but that doesn’t mean it’s no longer a risk.

Distraction.gov, a resource that outlines statistics and risks of distracted driving is full of various facts related to how distracted driving has impacted today’s modern roadways, and seeing these in provable number form can really serve as a wakeup call.

It’s always a good idea to put the phone way while you’re behind the wheel, and this is something that we should be teaching kids especially. Online drivers ed can help to drive home the dangers of using a cell phone while teens are learning how to drive, and we think that this is a really great option. As adults, we should know better than to distract ourselves while behind the wheel, but many teens may not realize how dire the consequences are, and online drivers ed can provide that wake-up call.

The Driver Fatigue Monitor MR688 is designed by CareDrive to detect driver fatigue or distraction and give driver alerts to take corrective actions in time to avoid accidents. To know more about MR688, welcome to contact CareDrive.