The demand for keeping up to date has caused teenagers everywhere to constantly be on their smartphones. There is a nonstop need for youth to be distracted in order to feel included in every conversation. So much pressure!
This constant need to stay connected has made texting and driving a serious problem across the country. For many young people, their smartphones can feel almost impossible to put down.
Unfortunately, because of the desire for teenagers to feel included and accepted, any teen can get caught up in the moment and make a mistake that may cost them their life as well as someone else’s by texting and driving.
It can happen to anyone!
In this article, I will cover the following:
Why Texting and Driving Is So Dangerous
Regardless of how bright your adolescent’s future is or how much common sense they have, one little mistake can turn out to be fatal. Adolescents especially have to be careful while driving because they don’t have the experience that more seasoned drivers do.
As a result of their lack of experience, teenagers aren’t as capable of reacting properly in an unsafe driving situation. Taking your eyes off the road for only a second can cause an automobile accident. The risk of your teen being hurt in an automobile accident is extremely high if they are on their phones while behind the wheel.
According to current NHTSA distracted-driving data, 3,208 people were killed and 315,167 were injured in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2024.
Driving Dangers Through the Years
The dangers of driving have always been present since the automobile was available to the public. There were hazards and bridges to cross from the beginning.
Hazardous driving has been an issue for more than a century. The Curved Dash Oldsmobile, introduced in 1901, is widely recognized as the first mass-produced car in the United States.
“In the first decade of the 20th century there were no stop signs, warning signs, traffic lights, traffic cops, driver's education, lane lines, street lighting, brake lights, driver's licenses or posted speed limits. Our current method of making a left turn was not known, and drinking-and-driving was not considered a serious crime.” Bill Loomis, Detroit News.
I remember when I was young not wearing a seatbelt was the epidemic that needed to be worked on. Fortunately, thanks to seatbelt laws, people are now realizing that seatbelts are a requirement for driving. Presently, texting and driving is the issue that still is, well, an issue.
As parents, it is our responsibility to monitor our teenager’s cell phone activity. Find out more about how to monitor your child’s texting activity.
How to Stop Your Teen from Texting and Driving
- Make sure to keep track of the times they are driving as much as possible and see if they sent any texts during that time.
- Talk to your kids and share with them some texting and driving statistics. They may not realize how dangerous it is to text and drive.
- Help them understand that they could be in major legal trouble if they hurt someone by texting behind the wheel. Share with your teen some of the laws regarding texting and driving. Let them know what will happen if they get pulled over for texting behind the wheel. Texting while driving is currently banned for all drivers in 49 states and Washington, D.C.
- Remind them how often people get hurt or die from texting behind the wheel and that if they do so, a life or multiple lives could be lost.
- Make sure to set rules that have consequences if broken.
- Help them turn on Driving Focus on an iPhone or Driving mode or Do Not Disturb on Android if they have the correct phone and version, and encourage them to put the phone out of reach before the car starts moving.
- Be a good role model yourself. Make sure you don’t text and drive, especially when your teenager is in the car with you.
As a result of the amount of texting adolescents do on a daily basis, texting has become something that is not seen as a distraction to them.
Teenagers think they are so good at sending texts, tweets, and the like with their cell phone that they believe they can multitask while doing so.
Please share these statistics as well as lay down some ground rules for your teenagers so that they are more likely to make the right choice.
You can also fill out the CDC Parent-Teen Driving Agreement with your child to commit to being phone-free while driving. If you follow the agreement as well, it will set a good example and show that you care about their safety.