West Virginia residents may be interested in learning what a recent study revealed about distracted teen drivers. Most parents know that when a teenager gets their license, they are excited to be behind the wheel, but parents are concerned about their child using safe driving practices. This is why recent research has caught the eyes of some parents.
A study in the University of Michigan showed that teenagers who drive with friends in the car are more easily distracted. Sixty percent of the parents included in this study said that their children told them their friends had driven distracted at one point or another. This study underscores the importance of instilling safe driving habits in children right away.
It’s important for teenagers to be safe when they are behind the wheel. It is also important for teenagers to be safety-conscious when they are passengers. Positive peer pressure can be a force that encourages other teenage drivers to put down the phone and quit fiddling with the radio.
When parents were asked about what concerned them when their teenage driver was behind the wheel, a good percentage of parents said they were worried when one or more friends were in the car with their teenager. Other parents were concerned that loud music would distract the teenage driver. A good percentage of parents were worried that their teenagers would be distracted because of cellphone use.
Parents understand that most teenagers have limited driving experience, so they try to take steps to minimize dangerous driving situations. Parents may forbid their children from driving during inclement weather or from driving at night. Still, traffic accidents related to distracted driving occur. If a person is a victim of an accident related to distracted driving, they would do well to speak to a personal injury attorney. An attorney may work with their client to determine the particulars of the case, evaluate damage and work with investigators to see who was at fault with the goal of helping their client get the compensation they deserve for their injuries.