The California Highway Patrol is teaming up with Impact Teen Drivers to teach and reinforce positive driving habits to teens through education. According to a Patch.com news report, California loses the equivalent of eight large school buses filled with teenagers each year to car accidents. The CHP’s partnership with Impact Teen Drivers aims to teach young people positive driving habits and behaviors statewide through virtual classes as well as enforcement.
Teen Distracted Driving is a Problem
CHP’s statistics show that 10% of all drivers 15 to 19 who died in car accidents were found to have been distracted at the time. All of those accidents were preventable. Based on the miles driven, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that teens are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. Teen drivers are the most at risk for driving while distracted. They are also more likely than any other age group to be involved in car accidents where distracted driving is a factor.
CHP and Impact Teen Drivers will begin offering virtual classes at schools and at community events throughout the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will have education and enforcement components. The initiative is funded by a yearlong Teen Distracted Drivers Education and Enforcement X grant provided from the Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Distracted driving among teens has become a significant concern in California, contributing to the state’s high rate of teen-related traffic accidents. The allure of smartphones, coupled with the inexperience of young drivers, creates a dangerous combination on the road.
The Statistics and Risks: According to various studies and reports, teenagers are the demographic most susceptible to distracted driving. The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) emphasizes that distractions from electronic devices are not the only issue; behaviors such as eating, grooming, or engaging with passengers can be just as perilous. Teen drivers in California are statistically more likely to be involved in accidents due to these distractions, with one report stating that teen drivers average twice as many collisions as adult drivers while logging only half the road miles.
Legal Restrictions: California has implemented strict laws to combat distracted driving among minors. For drivers under 18, using a cellphone for any reason, even hands-free, is illegal except in emergencies. This law aims to reduce the temptation for teens to check their phones while driving. However, enforcement and awareness are ongoing challenges.
Parental Involvement: Parents often have the primary responsibility for teaching teens safe driving habits. A survey conducted by the University of Michigan highlighted that many parents are concerned about distractions like loud music, cellphone use, and the presence of other teens in the car. Parental oversight has been recommended to mitigate risks through practices like limiting highway driving or the number of passengers.
Educational Efforts: Attempts to educate teens about the dangers of distracted driving are widespread. Organizations like Impact Teen Drivers work alongside state agencies to provide evidence-based programs. These initiatives focus on the consequences of reckless driving decisions, aiming to change attitudes and behaviors. They offer resources for parents and educators to integrate these messages into everyday discussions about driving safety.
The Impact of Distractions: Research into the actual behavior of teenage drivers has uncovered alarming patterns. A study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety re-analyzed video clips from teen drivers’ first six months of unsupervised driving, finding that using electronic devices was the most common distraction, followed by adjusting vehicle controls, personal grooming, and eating or drinking. This study also noted that distractions significantly increase the likelihood of a driver looking away from the road, which can lead to near-collisions or worse.
Distracted driving among teens in California is not just a matter of breaking the law; it’s a life-threatening habit that requires continuous attention from both legislative and educational perspectives. Raising awareness, tightening enforcement, and fostering a culture of responsibility on the roads are pivotal steps towards reducing the number of accidents involving young drivers. Parents, educators, and policymakers should focus on creating an environment where safe driving is the norm, not the exception.
For those interested in learning more or getting involved, resources from the California Office of Traffic Safety and organizations like Impact Teen Drivers are invaluable for promoting teen driver safety.
Tips to Prevent Distracted Driving
Here are a few valuable tips to help prevent teen distracted driving:
- Education: Teens should be made aware of what constitutes driving distractions. Cell phones, texting, using social media, email, eating, changing music, talking to find passengers and trying to look for something in the car while driving – all constitute distractions. Teens should know what actions to avoid while driving.
- Laying down the rules: Parents should set strict teen driving and phone rules. Parents may want to limit their teen’s screen time to certain times of day if they will be driving.
- Being a good role model: Parents should be good role models and walk the talk by putting away their phones while driving and paying attention to the road.
- Other passengers: Teens should be strictly instructed not to ferry other passengers when driving. This is one of the leading causes of crashes involving teens where distraction is a factor.
Source: https://patch.com/california/across-ca/six-teen-drivers-die-car-crashes-every-day-chp-says
