Tags:
Journalism of Courage
By Arsh Behal
A new study conducted on teenage drivers and their vulnerability to distraction reveals some shocking statistics and the effects are much worse than previously thought.
The study suggests that “distraction” of various kinds as a factor accounts for nearly 60 percent of moderate to severe crashes among teenagers.
In a video analysis performed by AAA foundation of Traffic safety and featured by Sploid observing over 1,700 videos,with a dash cam attached to these cars showcases teenagers texting, talking, applying makeup or just generally not paying attention moments before the crash. The horrific condition of teenage alertness was as alarming as it seems.
The study found nearly six out of ten drivers were distracted and showed that distraction was a factor in 58 percent of all crashes studied, including 89 percent of road-departure crashes and 76 percent of rear-end crashes. That statistic being more than four times of the previous estimates from police reports. “We’re hoping that our central findings of the study will make parents more aware of the magnitude of the problem and the potential for disaster,” said Peter Kissinger, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety President & CEO.
