Survey Indicates that Teens are Prone to Distracted Driving

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Consumers Union President Jim Guest recently announced that they will be working together to aid communities in educating young people about the risks of distracted driving. LaHood and Guest were inspired in part by a recent Consumer Reports poll regarding young people's behaviors and attitudes towards using handheld devices while driving.

The Transportation Department estimates that in 2009 alone, nearly 5,500 Americans were killed and an additional 500,000 were injured in traffic accidents involving a distracted driver. These statistics make plain the need to address distracted driving practices among inexperienced and tech-savvy teen drivers in particular.

Despite this startling reality, the Consumer Reports survey results indicate that teenagers are doing little to reverse the distracted driving trend sweeping the nation. Surprisingly, 63 percent of respondents under the age of 30 admitted to driving while using a cell phone and 30 percent admitted to having sent text messages while driving. In comparison, 41 percent of older adults admitted to having used a cell phone and only 9percent to having sent a text while driving.

Only 36 percent of respondents under the age of 30 reported being very concerned about the issue of distracted driving and 30 percent felt it was very dangerous to use a cell phone while driving. Overall, 58 percent of respondents had witnessed a dangerous situation involving a distracted driver within the past month. Of those respondents who reported that they had recently reduced their distracted driving behaviors, 66 percent said they did so after reading or hearing about the risks.

"Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on America's roads, and teens are especially vulnerable," Secretary LaHood recently insisted. "...We're pleased to be working with Consumer Reports to raise awareness and help communities fight this problem."

The Transportation Department and Consumer Reports are educating communities initially through a free guide: "Distracted Driving Shatters Lives." The guide aims to help parents and teachers communicate with teens about the dangers of distracted driving practices. The guide, which is available on the agency's website, may not solve the scourge of distracted driving plaguing the nation's roads, but it is a positive step in the right direction.