There’s a whirlwind of emotions when you finally pass your driving test as a teen, including excitement, anticipation, a little bit of nervousness. But it’s these teens that are at risk of being involved in a car accident the most. They’re new to the world of driving and haven’t got much road experience behind them. The excitement can lead to carelessness, which can have unthinkable consequences. Educating teens about the danger of distracted driving is absolutely essential. By making them aware of the potential outcomes that their actions could cause, hopefully it will deter them from putting themselves and others at risk when they get behind the wheel.
Potential Scenarios
When driving, a tiny moment of distraction can have serious consequences. Teens need to be made aware that every action they take whilst driving has the potential to affect something else and cause much larger repercussions. There are three elements to distracted driving: Visual distractions take your eyes off the road; manual distractions involve you taking your hands off the wheel and cognitive distractions are when your mind is not focused on driving. These can be anything from changing the radio station or altering the temperature, to having passengers or using a mobile phone. Drivers need to be aware how any of their actions could result in dangers for everyone.
Legal Consequences
The laws surrounding distracted driving vary across state, but there can be some severe legal consequences to deal with if you cause an accident. A staggering amount of road accidents that result in serious injury or loss of life are caused by distracted driving, and you, as the driver, are responsible. Teaching teens about the legal repercussions can severely deter distracted driving, and make them aware of what they may have to face should anything happen. If they do find themselves in such a situation, the first thing they should do is get in contact with a Rhode Island car accident lawyer, who will be able to guide them through the process and answer any legal questions they may have.
First-Hand Experience
Seeing the effects of accidents on people and their lives can be shocking. It is this shock that will have lasting effects on teen drivers. A shocking amount of people lose family members to distracted driving every year, and the consequences of injuries can be life changing. Educating teens on these consequences and having them hear stories from people that have been affected by distracted driving has a major effect on how they behave when driving in the future.
Preventative Measures
There not only needs to be education on the dangers of distracted driving, but also habits which teens can adopt to help prevent distracting behaviors. Making sure they give themselves enough time for journeys, turning mobile phones onto drive mode, preparing their music before setting off and being respectful if a friend is driving are all steps that teens need educating on which will help prevent road accidents from distracted driving.
A small moment of distraction can have serious consequences when driving, and teens need to be educated on all the repercussions of this, and what they can do to prevent it.
