According to a recent study conducted by AAA, 156 Ohio teens were killed in crashes
in 2015. National statistics show that vehicle accidents are the number one
cause of death for Americans between the ages of 16 through 20 in this country.
And
the number one cause of these crashes is distracted driving – despite the
enormous amount of education and safety campaigns. In fact, two-thirds of teen
drivers involved in fatal car accidents were practicing distracted driving
behaviors at the time of the crash.
And
although many people may think that the number distraction for teens is cell
phone use, especially texting and driving, it is actually distractions from
passengers the teens have in their vehicles that cause them to lose focus on
the road in front of them.
One
study found that if a teen driver has two or more of their friends in the
vehicle, the risk of being in a crash more than triples. Having friends in the
car tends to encourage a teen driver to engage in risky behaviors. Male teens,
in particular, appear to be more susceptible to risky driving behaviors.
In
a study that was published in Journal
of Adolescent Health, researchers found that male teen drivers were almost six
times more likely to perform an illegal driving maneuver before crashing than
if they were driving alone in their vehicle.
They
were also twice as likely to drive aggressively than if they were alone. The
study found that having passengers in their vehicle did not cause female teen
drivers to take these risks.
Under
Ohio law, new drivers are required to log 50 hours of supervised driving. Ten
of those hours need to be at night and during the first six months they have
been granted the privilege of driving. New drivers are also required to have at
least 24 hours of classroom instructions.
Many
safety advocates say that the state needs ever more graduated driving laws in
order to protect both teen drivers and other people who are on the roads.
Advocates
say it is also critical for parents to set good examples to their teens and
must also practice safe driving behaviors. Source: bluevirginia.us
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