Tips for Preventing Teens From Texting and Driving

Texting and driving increases the chances of a person getting into an accident resulting in serious injuries and even death.

Texting and driving has surpassed DUI as the highest contributing factor to teen deaths not just in Illinois, but the entire United States.

The alarming rate of accidents caused by texting and driving should compel us to think about ways to prevent teens from texting while driving. Good communication between parents and their teenage drivers can go a long way in preventing this habit from developing. From the moment their child is learning to drive parents should make it very clear that texting while driving is never acceptable and help their teen to understand the consequences of doing so. It is also important for parents to set a good example by avoiding all forms of distraction while behind the wheel.

Help your teen understand that texting while driving is not just risky, it is also against the law.

Explain to them why texting while driving is dangerous

Even though most teens know that texting while driving can lead to accidents they often don’t understand how. They may think that looking at their cell phone for a few seconds won’t do any harm. This is far from true. Even a few seconds of distraction can lead to a serious accident. Explain to your teen that texting and driving distracts you in more than one way. It takes your mind off the task, it takes your hands off the wheel, and eyes off the road. Doing this even for a couple of seconds is a recipe for disaster.

Research has shown that sending or receiving a text message takes the driver’s eyes off the road for about 4.6 seconds, and this is equivalent to the time it takes to travel the full length of a football field. So, you can imagine the risk that you take just by receiving or sending a text message while driving.