Teens Aware of Dangers of Texting, Yet Carry On

Teen drivers are becoming increasingly aware of the potential dangers of texting while driving, yet it's not curbing the behavior. According to a 2011 teen driving study by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), 53% of the 2,294 high-school students surveyed say they text while they drive at least sometimes, and 28% admit doing so often or very often. Despite these admissions, the study shows that more teens believe that texting while driving is a significant distraction. In 2008, only 38% of teens said texting while driving was very/extremely distracting. In 2009, that number rose to 48% and it climbed significantly to 59% in 2011.

According to the researchers, parents are a frequent recipient of these texts, which often share where/what the teen is doing. SADD's Stephen Wallace understands that it's important for parents to know where their children are and what they are doing, but "they need to take a firm stance against texting while driving and other distracted driving behaviors." Liberty Mutual's Dave Melton also says parents need to take responsibility for what their teen drivers are doing. "The reality is, the 'don't talk on the phone while driving' conversation of a few years ago, must today expand to 'don't use your cell phone, MP3 player or any computer device for any reason while driving.' If you're not talking about it, chances are they will do it."

You can find additional resources on helping teens become safe, responsible drivers here.