With teens and young adults practically glued to their phones these days, it’s easy to point fingers when it comes to distracted driving. After all, they practically grew up with the technology. But, guess what: they’re not the only ones that are distracted. And they may not even be the most distracted. So who’s there competition? Parents.
If you’re a parent, you’ve probably experienced being a distracted driver. In fact, it’s most likely a part of your daily life, whether you like to admit it or not. With kids in the backseat, how can you not be distracted? If it’s not one thing, it’s another. The University of Michigan conducted a survey of over 600 parents. They asked questions about driving distractions such as talking on their cell phones and using the entertainment system.
A startling 75% of parents had phone conversations when driving. 20% of them conducted phone calls on every single trip they made. 70% tended to the care of their children, 25% of them on every trip. Thankfully, the least common activity was texting. Only 15% did that, and only 1% on every trip. Of course, we would like to see those numbers down to 0.
The researchers at Michigan found that phone-using parents were more than two times as likely to have previously been involved in a car crash. Obviously we don’t want you to completely ignore your children when driving, but if they require your complete attention while driving, make the smart choice and pull into a safe spot to tend to them. Multitasking should not be done behind the wheel.