The desire of some parents to stay in contact when their teenagers are out with friends may be contributing to the unsafe driving habits seen in young people. Fifty percent of the teenagers surveyed in a recent study admitted to texting and driving, and 19 percent of the texting group blamed it on their parents for expecting a response within one minute.
In fairness to mom and dad, responses from the teens admitted that parents did not always know their children were behind the wheel of a car when text messages came through. The study also found that teenaged texting while driving involved more than just staying in touch with their parents. Texts sent to friends contributed to creating a distracted driver when some teens take the wheel.
Although the study did not make a recommendation, laws making texting and driving illegal are a beginning, but enforcement of those laws must become a priority. Negligent drivers of any age who are more focused on sending or reading a text messages pose a danger to themselves and to other motorists and pedestrians.
Anyone who has been injured in a car accident with a distracted driver behind the wheel may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost earnings and other damages stemming from the car collision. A Rockland County personal injury attorney might be able to assist the car accident victim or, in the case of a fatal car crash, the victim’s family.
Source: Bloomberg, Mom and Dad Blamed as Most Teen Drivers Text Behind the Wheel
