Parents concerned about their teenage children staying safe from digital distractions while driving have every reason to be worried. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), nearly 70 percent of teens admit to talking on a cell phone while driving during the past month.
In an effort to teach teens and others the dangers of distracted driving, AAA is partnering with the Duval County Tax Collector’s Office to bring a distracted driving simulator that shows firsthand the dangers of divided attention, News 4 JAX reports.
Dina Watson of AAA Jacksonville told News 4 JAX that she hopes those who took part would “have a greater appreciation for the lives they’re endangering.”
“Passengers and motorists and drivers alike, we want them to realize distracted driving is not a minor offense at all. It puts everyone, including themselves and their loved ones, at risk,” Watson said.
‘Almost Impossible to Drive Safely’
For at least one participant, the simulator had the desired effect.
“I was amazed at how difficult it was,” said Duval County Tax Collector Michael Corrigan. “I mean, if you were distracted at all, it’s almost impossible to drive safely.”
Statistics bear his observation out.
According to WLRN Miami, more than 4,500 car accidents were attributed to distracted driving in Florida during 2012. Of those, 225 were directly linked to cellphones and other electronic devices, although the actual number of texting crashes is probably much higher.
Nationwide, distracted driving caused 3,328 deaths and 421,000 injuries during 2012, reports Distraction.gov, the official U.S. Government website for raising awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.
The website also notes that 10 percent of all drivers under age 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted, while drivers in their 20s comprised 27 percent of distracted drivers in fatal crashes.
‘Just Put It Down’
Florida, like most other states, has banned texting while driving. Distracted driving has been singled out by the Florida Department of Transportation as one of eight priority traffic safety concerns.
During summer 2012 Florida began the “Just Put It Down” campaign. Organizers of the AAA driving simulator say that summer is the ideal time for the event due to the high incidents of teen driving deaths from June through August.
Car crashes, which cause 5,665 teenage deaths per year on average, are the leading killer of American teens, according to AAA.
Other key teen distracted driving statistics from AAA include the following:
More than 50 percent of teens admit to reading a text or email while driving in the past 30 days.
94 percent of people between the ages of 17 and 26 talk on a cellphone at least one hour per day and send 80 texts per day on average. 94 percent keep their phones on when driving.
A 16- or 17-year-old driver’s risk of being killed in a car crash increases proportionally to the number of passengers in the vehicle and decreases by 62 percent when someone older than 35 is in the vehicle.
To learn more about teen driver safety, visit the AAA Guide to Teen Driver Safety website.
Parents concerned about their teenage children staying safe from digital distractions while driving have every reason to be worried. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), nearly 70 percent of teens admit to talking on a cell phone while driving during the past month.
In an effort to teach teens and others the dangers of distracted driving, AAA is partnering with the Duval County Tax Collector’s Office to bring a distracted driving simulator that shows firsthand the dangers of divided attention, News 4 JAX reports.
Dina Watson of AAA Jacksonville told News 4 JAX that she hopes those who took part would “have a greater appreciation for the lives they’re endangering.”
“Passengers and motorists and drivers alike, we want them to realize distracted driving is not a minor offense at all. It puts everyone, including themselves and their loved ones, at risk,” Watson said.
‘Almost Impossible to Drive Safely’
For at least one participant, the simulator had the desired effect.
“I was amazed at how difficult it was,” said Duval County Tax Collector Michael Corrigan. “I mean, if you were distracted at all, it’s almost impossible to drive safely.”
Statistics bear his observation out.
According to WLRN Miami, more than 4,500 car accidents were attributed to distracted driving in Florida during 2012. Of those, 225 were directly linked to cellphones and other electronic devices, although the actual number of texting crashes is probably much higher.
Nationwide, distracted driving caused 3,328 deaths and 421,000 injuries during 2012, reports Distraction.gov, the official U.S. Government website for raising awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.
The website also notes that 10 percent of all drivers under age 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted, while drivers in their 20s comprised 27 percent of distracted drivers in fatal crashes.
‘Just Put It Down’
Florida, like most other states, has banned texting while driving. Distracted driving has been singled out by the Florida Department of Transportation as one of eight priority traffic safety concerns.
During summer 2012 Florida began the “Just Put It Down” campaign. Organizers of the AAA driving simulator say that summer is the ideal time for the event due to the high incidents of teen driving deaths from June through August.
Car crashes, which cause 5,665 teenage deaths per year on average, are the leading killer of American teens, according to AAA.
Other key teen distracted driving statistics from AAA include the following:
To learn more about teen driver safety, visit the AAA Guide to Teen Driver Safety website.