Survey suggests parents are worse distracted drivers than their teens.
After countless campaigns warning teens of the dangers of driving while distracted by their cellphones, it seems that parents are now the ones that need a reminder. A recent survey found that many American parents routinely talk or text while driving and ignore their teens’ suggestions to stop. The survey was a joint effort of insurance company Liberty Mutual and advocacy group Students Against Destructive Decisions. Over 2,500 high school juniors and seniors and 1,000 of their parents participated in the survey and the key findings are as follows:
Bad Parent Behavior
- 88 percent of teens reported that their parents used some sort of mobile device while driving
- 58 percent said their parents texted while driving
- 16 percent reported that their parents drove after having at least one drink
- 5 percent said their parents drove under the influence of marijuana
Stubborn Parents
- 42 percent of teens have asked their parents to stop texting while driving
- 18 percent have asked their parents to stop driving after using marijuana
- According to teens, 40 percent of parents continue the dangerous behavior anyway
- Only 2 percent of parents admitted to ignoring their teens’ advice
- 84 percent of parents said they stopped dangerous behaviors after being asked by teens
The results of the survey are very interesting because it almost seems like the roles of child and parent have been reversed here. In any case, this survey serves to highlight the fact that all drivers need to take care to avoid engaging in distracting behaviors that take attention away from the road. After all, distractions such as texting are a significant contributor to traffic accidents, including ones causing severe injuries and even fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,328 people died in car accidents involving distracted drivers in 2012.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, proving that the driver who caused the accident was distracted can potentially be important to your case. Engaging in distracting behaviors like talking on a cellphone, texting, eating, putting on makeup etc., can indicate negligence and help prove that the driver should bear a larger share of responsibility for the accident in cases where liability may be shared between two or more drivers.
In any car accident injury case, it is to your advantage to secure the best possible representation. Fernando D. Vargas has ample experience in all kinds of car accident cases and will not be thrown by any argument or strategy the other side tries to use. Instead, he and his staff will work diligently to help you build the strongest possible case for full and complete compensation.
