If You’re Texting and Driving, Your Teens Are More Likely To Do It Too

There is little doubt that distracted driving is an epidemic on the roads. From eating and texting on the move to other forms of distraction, accidents, injury and even death are a realty. While many parents aim to teach their teens the importance of road safety, there is a study that reports that some parents may be to blame for their teen's distracted driving, including texting and driving.

The Study

Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) along with Liberty Mutual studied the distracted driving patterns of parents and teens. The study determined that parents who practice unsafe habits, such as texting and driving, talking on the phone or other distractions had teens who practiced the same habits. The study reported that almost two-thirds of teen drivers believe their parent have bad driving habits. Even more worrying, they said their parents engaged in speeding, texting and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Even though teens acknowledge their parent's poor judgement, they admit to engaging in the same behaviors behind the wheel.

The Statistics

Almost 91 percent of teens who witness their parents talking on the phone admit to doing the very same. As for texting and driving, just over half of the parents involved in the study were caught doing it and 78 percent of teens admit to doing it too after seeing their parents engage in the distraction.

Safe Driving Checklist for Parents

As a parent, the power is in your hands. If you're worried about your teen's driving, here's what you can do. As for teens, if you've seen your parents engaging in distracted driving, now is the time to speak up. To keep our roads safe we need to band together and take action. Take a look at these safety tips:

Use a "Safe Driving" App

There are a number of free or low-cost cell phone apps on the market that can help develop saver driving habits. Some prevent incoming texts from downloading until the car has stopped. So there's no temptation to read the text.

What About a Parent-Teen Driving Contract?

A couple of agreed-upon rules can go a long way. When you set certain expectations for your teen, you can help reduce distracted driving, particularly when there are dire consequences for their behavior. When writing up the contract, let your teen voice his or her opinion too and if s/he has a few rules for your driving, set those out in the contract also.

Declutter the Vehicle

IPods, radios, CDs, GPS, navigation – all of these can lead to a deadly accident, especially when you combine and use them while driving. Declutter the car and avoid having to use more than one device at a time. Show your teen what really matters: focused driving with eyes on the road.

Do You Need Help?

If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident as a result of texting and driving, talk to the team at Clore Law about claims and other procedures. Call 843.722.8070 to book an appointment.