Texting and driving has been called “a national epidemic,” and for good reason. According to a recent survey conducted in the United States, 43% of teens admitted to texting while driving at least one time over the past month. The actual total percentage could be much higher, as some of those surveyed may have tried to hide the truth.
Alexandra Bailin, who works as a research assistant at New York’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center, conducted the survey. She and her team used data from 7,833 US high school students. They found that texting while driving becomes more of an issue as teens get older. 52% of the students 18 and older texted while driving, 46% of 17-year-olds did the same, and 33% of 16-year-olds sent text messages behind the wheel. The survey also concluded that male drivers were 6% more likely to text and drive than their female counterparts.
Even if you’ve had the texting and driving talk with your teen before, it is important to consistently remind them of the dangers. It seems that the problem is on the rise and it doesn’t look like it is going to go away anytime soon. Start off by leading by example. You texting and driving is just as dangerous as them doing it. Put the phone away… that message can wait!