American teens now face a new threat. Texting and driving is the Number 1 killer of teens on the road.
Last week, AOL News announced research proving that distracted driving is now the Number One killer of American teens. In the past, drunk driving has always been considered the worst killer of teens. However, texting and driving has now replaced drunk driving as the most worrying threat for parents whose teens drive regularly.
In case you missed it, check out the rest of the article at AOL autos. But what the article leaves out is that the largest component of distracted driving is no-longer driving while drunk – the historic lead killer – now it is texting while driving.
In fact, according to Pew Research, texting while driving increases teen crash risk by 23 times over the normal risk of a collision. Drunk driving’s increase is only half that, which makes texting and driving a shockingly risky activity for teens.
Worse, smartphones make the activity far more prevalent because they dramatically increase the number of texts teens send per day to well over 50 on average. And smartphone usage is rising, with the percentage of teens owning one up double-digits year-on-year since 2007.
So, what gives for parents?
First, it goes back to communication and awareness. Teens are often not aware of the risk and parents need to have a frank discussion with their kids about the risk they are taking if they text behind the wheel – and the consequences of those risks.
But, communication isn’t everything – parents also need enforcement.
Parents using MMGuardian can set up text and drive prevention right on their teens’ phone; shutting off their child’s phone’s text function if they are behind the wheel of a moving car. And it’s free.
So, try MMGuardian today. Don’t become a statistic.
