There are many dangers on the road in Staten Island, especially for teen drivers. While the blame for the risks they face are often linked to inexperience, behaving as distracted drivers and more, there are other issues that contribute to the chances of them being involved in or causing car accidents. Studies are done to try and narrow down why these crashes occur and reduce their frequency. One from Liberty Mutual says that teens are mimicking their parents’ behaviors behind the wheel.
In the study, it was found that parents will drive at excessive speeds, take selfies and check their smartphones. Young drivers are with them in the vehicle, see these behaviors and copy them. Thirty-seven percent of parents use apps when behind the wheel, and 41 percent are using their cellphones. And, this may be the main cause of teens doing the same when they are driving or at a red light.
Parents still encourage their children not to text and drive. However, they admit that they send text messages to their children when they know the child is driving and expect a reply. Forty-six percent of teens say that stop signs and red lights are acceptable places to check their phones, and 41 percent of parents say the same.
This information is important to those who are in a car crash with a teen as it highlights one of the main causes of these crashes today. Distracted driving is a relatively recent prevailing concern because of the prevalence of smartphones and other devices. Adding this to the longtime dangers of teen drivers such as recklessness, negligence and driving under the influence makes it a frightening prospect to be sharing the road with these drivers and, based on this study, even their parents. Serious injuries and fatalities can come about after car accidents regardless of the other driver.
