High Point Auto Repair

Teenagers and their cell phones are seemingly inseparable—even when they are behind the wheel of a car. In fact, teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 make up the largest percentage of drivers distracted by mobile devices.

In a 2012 poll conducted by AAA, 94% of teens admitted that texting and driving is dangerous but 35% said they do it anyway. When compared to adults, teenagers are four times more likely to be involved in a car accident. Sadly, an average of 11 teen drivers is killed every day as a result of texting and driving.

Teens who text while driving are 23 times more likely to be involved in a car accident. Just reaching for their phone makes them 1.4 times more likely to be involved an accident. An even scarier statistic is that 77% of young adults are convinced that they can safely text while driving.

Pedestrians are also at risk when they are distracted by their phones. A pedestrian who texts while walking across the street or a crosswalk is four times less likely to look before crossing. It also takes an average of 2 seconds longer for pedestrians to cross the street while texting.

A large majority of people support laws that prohibit the use of cell phones while driving, despite the large number of people who engage in driving and using cell phones. In fact, 94% of respondents surveyed support a ban on texting and driving. Whether or not these bans would be effective is up for debate.