Teen Distracted Driving on the Rise

Distracted driving at any age can lead to disastrous results.

Distracted driving at any age can lead to disastrous results. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2014, 3,179 people were killed and about 431,000 were injured in automobile crashes that involved a distracted driver in the United States. While this is clearly a problem for drivers across the country, it is particularly an issue for teen drivers who are considered a higher risk for this behavior.

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What is Distracted Driving

When we think of distracted driving, the use of smartphones is often the first thing we identify as distracting. Distracted driving encompasses more than that, however, despite the fact that much of the rise in accidents are owed to this fast-evolving technology. Other distractions include grooming, eating or drinking, changing the radio station, or even talking to a passenger. Essentially, any activity that takes your attention away from the road is considered a form of distracted driving.

Teens and Distracted Driving

In 2015, 60% of people killed in distraction-related crashes were teenagers between the age of 15 and 19, an alarmingly high and disconcerting number.

Teens may not be the only ones who engage in distracting behavior while driving, but younger and inexperienced drivers do have the highest proportion of distraction-related crashes that result in fatalities. In fact, automobile accidents are the leading cause of teen deaths in the United States, exceeding homicide and suicide combined.

Our Columbia car accident attorneys want to remind everyone that texting while driving has been illegal in South Carolina since 2014. Writing, sending, and reading text-based communications while driving on wireless devices (phones, tablets, even laptops) is banned. While South Carolina is one of the most lenient states when it comes to texting while driving, it does not mean you should break the law. On the contrary, the more teens and adults avoid distractions while driving, the less accidents, injuries, and deaths we will witness throughout the state.

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Charleston Car Accident Lawyer

Car wrecks, no matter how they occur, can disrupt and alter a life. When they happen due to another person’s negligence or recklessness, you have the legal right to seek compensation for your injuries. George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers has a team of skilled accident lawyers who have been trusted by over 40,000 injured and disabled South Carolinians.

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Source: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812335

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