Distracted driving and teens is a dangerous combination. In fact, you may know that under the Georgia driver’s license program, a teen as young as 15 years old, can get a driver’s permit. Studies have shown that it is these younger drivers who are more at risk of a serious injury than any other age group. One reason that these teens are having so many more accidents than the other portions of the population is that according to the National Institutes of Health, their brains are still developing.
Their hormones are making changes to their bodies and this is causing the teen to make decisions not based on rationale but rather on an impulse. Studies also show that approximately 60% of the moderate to severe crashes involve teens who became distracted. There are several behaviors associated with different types of distracted driving.
Those behaviors include interacting with passengers, that’s approximately 15%, using a cellphone, 12%, looking at something inside the vehicle, 10%, looking at something outside the vehicle, 9%, singing or reacting to music, 8%, grooming tasks, 6%, and reaching for something else, 6%.
Hopefully, you’ve not been involved or have a teenager who’s been involved in a distracted driving accident case. However, if you have any questions about these types of accidents or you’ve been a victim of that type of an accident, please call my office at 770-792-1000 and I’ll be happy to assist you.