Survey: Many Teens Text While Driving

Almost half of older U.S. teens text while driving, a new survey shows. And those who text while driving are also more likely to do other dangerous things. Researchers used results from a national survey on youth behavior. They focused on answers given by 8,500 teens who were age 16 or older. Nearly 45% said they had texted or e-mailed while driving during the last 30 days. They were 5 times as likely to drive after drinking alcohol as teens who didn't text while driving. About 25% of the teens texted while driving every day. Teens in this group were 40% less likely to wear seat belts than teens who just texted while driving once or twice in the last month. Older students and males were the most likely to text while driving. The journal Pediatrics published the study online. USA Today and HealthDay News wrote about it April 13.

By Henry H. Bernstein, D.O.
Harvard Medical School

What Is the Doctor's Reaction?

OMG! LOL! G2G! TTYL!

Look familiar?

If you have a teenage son or daughter, you've probably seen this texting shorthand before. Sometimes it seems as if teens have their very own texting language. Texting can be a fun way for teens to keep in touch with their friends. But they should never be texting while driving!

Car crashes are the No. 1 killer of teenagers in the United States. About 3,000 young lives are lost every year because of car accidents. Most of these crashes are caused by driver inexperience. When you add in distractions (such as texting), the result can be especially deadly.

A new study published in the journal Pediatrics looked at the rates of texting and driving among teens aged 16 years and older. The researchers used results from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. High school students across the country take this survey. It asks them questions about their lifestyle, such as whether or not they smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or use drugs.

As part of the survey, teens were also asked whether they had sent a text or e-mail while driving during the last 30 days. In all, 8,505 students answered this question. Almost half (45%) reported texting while driving in the last month. That is a lot of distracted drivers on the road!

The students who had sent texts while driving were also more likely to:

• Not always wear a seatbelt
• Ride with a driver who had been drinking alcohol
• Drink alcohol and drive

These findings suggest that a large group of teens may act in unsafe ways while driving. This is putting the teens themselves, their passengers and other drivers at risk for crash-related injuries or even death.

What Changes Can I Make Now?

Experts are brainstorming ways to decrease the number of teens who are texting and driving. Here are some of their proposed strategies:

• Bans on cell phone use (including texting) for new drivers. Currently, 36 states and the District of Columbia have laws making it illegal for new drivers to use their cell phones while behind the wheel. Forty-five states, and Washington, D.C., have specifically banned texting while driving for new drivers. Find out more about the laws in your state.
• New technology. Some experts have recommended installing devices that block cell phone use in teens' cars. Others have recommended devices that monitor the teen's driving behaviors (such as cell phone use). These devices provide feedback to parents.
• Parental supervision. Setting rules against cell phone use for your child is critically important. Make sure they are following these rules, too. This may be the best way to decrease texting and driving.

Teen car crashes can be prevented. Proven strategies can improve the safety of young drivers on the road. Here are more things you can do to keep your teen driver safe:

• Practice driving with your teen as much as you can. The more experience he has behind the wheel, the safer he'll drive.
• Set rules for the road. Make sure that your new driver (and her passengers) always wear seat belts. Limit the hours when she is allowed to drive. Don't allow driving at night or with teen passengers. Crashes are more likely to occur in these situations.
• Limit distractions. Sending texts, making phone calls, using a GPS or MP3 player all take a driver's focus off the road. Instead, suggest other options to these bad habits. For example, encourage your teen to pull into a parking lot to answer or make phone calls.
• Write a parent-teen driving agreement. Work with your teen to write the agreement. Have him or her sign it!
  • Discuss your rules of the road with your teen.
  • Talk about why the rules must be followed.
  • Explain what the consequences are for breaking them.
• Lead by example. Be a role model of good driving behaviors. Always do this, even when your children are too young to drive. Young children can pick up on your dangerous behaviors. If you talk on the phone, text, speed or drive without your seat belt, teens will do what they see you do.

The government's "Parents are the Key" campaign offers parents tools and proven steps for reducing teen driving injuries and deaths.

What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?

You can expect serious efforts to keep young drivers safe on the road. Laws against cell phone use and texting will be strictly enforced. States that do not have such laws may begin to pass them.

You also can expect your child's pediatrician to stress the importance of practicing safe driving behaviors. The doctor is very likely to encourage you to set road safety rules for your teen. This should include no cell phone use at all while driving.