We recently saw a news story about drivers using their cellphones to video chat while barreling down the road. This is taking distracted driving to new heights.
Texting, talking, posting or linking while driving moves your focus off your primary job and makes you less able to maneuver a 4,000-pound collection of metal, fabric and glass past unpredictable obstacles in an effort to get yourself and others safely to your destination.
According to the U.S. government website for distracted driving, distraction.gov, over 3,000 people were killed and 424,000 injured in 2012 due to distracted drivers. A 2013 survey by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute stated that reaching for a phone, dialing and texting tripled the risk of a crash.
Driving is especially challenging for teens who have less experience behind the wheel and are more susceptible to external influences. Add the smartphone to the mix and it can be deadly. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the fatal crash rate per mile driven for 16- to 19-year-olds in the U.S. is nearly three times the rate for drivers age 20 and over.
In May 2012, AT&T conducted a national survey of teens about driving and texting. It showed that teens know that texting while driving is dangerous yet 75 percent of respondents said it is common among their friends and 61 percent admitted to glancing at their phone while driving.
Adults didn't fare much better since 77 percent of survey respondents agreed with the statement:"Adults say that kids should not text or email while driving but they do it themselves - all the time."
AT&T recently updated its 2012 survey. Here are some highlights:
* Seven in 10 people engage in smartphone activities while driving.
* Four in 10 smartphone users tap into social media while driving.
* Three in 10 surf the net.
* One in 10 video chat.
It's important to serve as a good example to your teen. Put your phone away when you're driving. There's no such thing as safe distracted driving. Events can change in an instant. Make sure you're prepared by placing your full attention on the road.
Take advantage of the educational benefits of programs such as AT&T's "It Can Wait" program (itcanwait.com) and Jacy Good and Steve Johnson's "Hang Up And Drive" initiative (hangupanddrive.com).
But technology can play a role in safer driving. Check out AT&T's DriveMode, which silences text message alerts, automatically replies to incoming messages, lets you access music or the phone's GPS program with one touch and sends a message to you if the app is turned off or otherwise disabled.
Tougher laws and fines and license suspension will be significant deterrents for teenagers and could be used to reduce texting while driving.
One distracted driving moment can be a life-changing event. Take steps now to educate your teen about safe driving.
Tom Tozer and Bill Black are authors of "Dads2Dads: Tools for Raising Teenagers." Like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter at Dads2Dadsllc.com. They are available for workshops. Contact them at tomandbill@Dads2Dadsllc.com.