Teenage Drivers Are Distracted: How Parents Can Coach Safe Driving

New drivers face many challenges as they build up the experience needed to manage everyday distractions and crisis situations behind the wheel. Teen drivers account for 10% of distracted driving accidents nationwide,¹ with rear-end accidents being one of the most common collisions caused by inattentive driving.

Your auto accident attorney knows that Texas law requires drivers to utilize a safe following distance and to maintain a proper lookout. Essentially, being unable to stop in time to prevent a rear-end collision strongly suggests inattentive or distracted driving.

Since September 1, 2017, Texas law forbids texting while driving, further strengthening and clarifying the existing laws regarding distracted or inattentive driving, as well as directly banning cell phone use while driving for those under 18.⁴

Texas teens and their parents will need a solid understanding of this topic. Let’s clearly define distracted driving, explore how it is a causative factor in rear-end accidents, and discuss strategies teens can use to stay safe through this phase of driving.

Distracted Driving Defined

Distracted driving statistics indicate that every day about 9 people die and more than 1,000 are injured in accidents caused by this behavior,⁵ and, of all age groups, teens have the highest fatality rate.² These facts are definitely cause for concern.

Distracted or inattentive driving is defined as operating a vehicle while performing another task which is:

• Manually distracting—Takes your hands off the wheel or your feet off the pedals.
• Cognitively distracting— Mentally distracts you from the task of driving.
• Visually distracting—Interferes with keeping your eyes on the road.
• Auditorily distracting—Interferes with your ability to hear road dangers and warning sounds.

Why Are Teens at Higher Risk of Distracted Driving?

Teens may underestimate the dangers due to their lack of driving experience. They are also statistically more likely to engage in these high risk driving behaviors that leave little room for error:³

• Speeding or driving too fast for conditions
• Following too close; tailgating
• Passing without enough clearance
• Failing to yield
• Not wearing a seat belt

The Top 5 Driving Distractions

Consider including these common categories of driving distractions when you coach your teen about safe driving. Because they are lacking the experience to recognize dangerous situations or make critical decisions on the spur of the moment, considering these dangers beforehand will help prepare your teen for the situations they will face.

To avoid dangerous rear-end collisions, high insurance rates, and the need for an auto accident lawyer, be sure your teen understands these common distractions and has strategies ready to combat them:

1. Texting While Driving

Despite state laws forbidding the practice, a recent survey showed that almost half of teen drivers admitted to reading a text message or email while driving in the past 30 days.⁶ They indicated that they understood the rules against this behavior, but were still the most likely age group to hold multi-text conversations at the wheel.²

Considering that, at 55 mph, reading five seconds of text means you drive the length of a football field without looking, understanding the seriousness of the risk is the key to prevention. Help your teen to understand that the following distance needed to avoid rear-end accidents is drastically increased if distractions take their eyes from the road ahead and one hand off the wheel.

Slowing down while texting or using the phone can also cause teens to be the victims of rear-end collisions if they fail to follow traffic flow or react to traffic light changes. All in all, this may be the most dangerous of teen driving habits, and it deserves extra parental attention.

2. Other Technological Distractions

Adjusting mirrors, programming the GPS, and changing the radio station all take your teen’s eyes off the road and attention away from driving safely. Teach and model the habit of making these adjustments before taking the car out of park. The moments it takes to do a check of all the necessary systems before beginning to drive mean full focus while the car is moving.

Many teens—and adults—find music relaxing while they drive. Encourage your teens to have a driving playlist so that no changes are needed while moving and to keep the volume low enough that they can easily hear horns, sirens, or train whistles while driving.

3. Eating and Drinking

Both of these are distracting and require a hand to leave the steering wheel. Taking care not to spill liquids or drip cheeseburger juice on your outfit means your attention is divided. A sudden spill can cause a sudden swerve for an inexperienced driver. Coach your teen to eat or drink before long drives or stop to enjoy a snack or beverage.

4. Personal Grooming

Taking care of those last-minute grooming tasks behind the wheel might seem efficient, but it is a dangerous practice. Teens are some of the most rushed and appearance-conscious people among us, and looking good upon arrival may seem urgent, but coach your teens to brush their hair and apply makeup only when the vehicle is parked. The results will be much better in any case.

5. Teen Passengers

Talk to your teen about the responsibility of passengers, in general, and teen passengers in particular. All children, pets, and passengers should be secured before starting the car, to reduce their distracting influence.

Having teen passengers, especially male teens, statistically increases risky driving behaviors like following too close, or tailgating.⁵ Peer pressure to pass or drive faster or just general exuberance and requests to turn up the music can all be factors in inattentive or reckless driving behaviors.

Teach your teens what is expected and that they are in charge of the situation as the driver. Passengers will need to wear seat belts and avoid distracting or harassing them while they drive. Above all, coach your teens not to start or continue driving if they feel they cannot do so safely, no matter what the reason.

Coaching Your Teen About Driving Safely

Teens need this important time to gain experience behind the wheel, and parents will want to open up a dialog about the safety rules they expect their teens to follow. Looking at this as a coaching opportunity can keep the lines of communication open while sharing and even expanding your own driving expertise.

Topics to Cover

Consider coaching your teen on all of these potentially dangerous driving situations:

• Distracted Driving
• Nighttime Driving
• Drowsy Driving
• Reckless or Aggressive Driving
• Road Rage
• Peer Pressure
• Impaired Driving

Coaching Strategies

Your teens are individuals, and you know how best to motivate them, but consider some of these suggestions when having the important discussions:

• Teach by example, and make sure you avoid driving when distracted.
• Point out when you are doing your pre-drive check of mirrors, GPS, music, etc.
• Be open to changing if they point out your own habits which don’t align with the rules.
• Support them in noticing and calling out their friends’ bad driving habits.
• Suggest safe driving pledge programs or other activities that reward safe driving.

Discuss what to do if they are involved in an accident, describe the process, and mention that police, an insurance company agent, and car accident lawyer may need to be involved.

Being There if an Accident Happens

Developing these safe driving habits during this critical phase will reap benefits down the road. Sometimes, despite developing these skills, your teens might be involved in accidents and need an experienced car, motorcycle, or truck accident lawyer on their side in a dispute.

Before you decide to deal with your teen’s accident through your insurance agency’s attorneys, reach out to an expert car accident attorney from the Houston, Texas team of Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. We will be happy to offer a free consultation without obligation to discuss the details of a rear-end accident or other collision.

There are no fees unless you win the case, and you and your family deserve fair compensation. Ensure your own allies are gathering the evidence on your family’s behalf while the information is still fresh and compelling. Call us today and let us protect your teen from paying the price of someone else’s distracted driving.

Sources:

1. https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/a-look-at-distracted-driving-on-national-teen-driver-safety-week/337362964
2. https://www.dmv.org/distracted-driving/teens-and-distracted-driving.php
3. https://www.justia.com/injury/motor-vehicle-accidents/car-accidents/teen-driver-car-accidents/
4. https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/statewide-news/018-2017.html
5. https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html
6. https://newsroom.aaa.com/2016/06/aaa-reveals-top-driving-distractions-teens-100-deadliest-days-begin/