Georgia Injury Law Blog
Atlanta car accident lawyers strongly believe that parents have a big role to play in setting a good traffic safety example for their teenage children.That’s why the results of a new survey came as a disappointment.The survey claims that many parents are distracted while driving, even while they’re teaching their children how to drive. Distracted driving results in an enormous number of auto accidents involving serious personal injury and wrongful death. Therefore, it is extremely important that new drivers are taught about he dangers of distracted driving by their parents. In order to convey this lesson, the parents must teach by example.
The survey was conducted by insurance company State Farm.According to the survey, 53% of parents admitted that they had been distracted by a cell phone or other device at least once while they were teaching their children how to drive.However, when the surveyors asked teen motorists, they found slightly higher numbers.According to the teen drivers, at least 61% of them had seen their parents being distracted while teaching them how to drive.
The survey also found that parents may not be so aware of the fact that they are displaying undesirable driving practices to their children.The survey found that parents used their electronic devices while driving with their children much more often than they think.About 52% of the teenagers in the survey said that they had seen their parent using a cell phone while driving.However, only 43% of the parents admitted that they used the cell phone when their teenage driver was in the vehicle with them.
What also stood out in the survey was that some parents seemed to have different rules for themselves, and a different set of rules for their teenage children.Teenagers are likely to emulate parents’ driving behaviors, and when parents are distracted while driving, teenagers may assume that such practices are acceptable behaviors.
Teenagers constitute a high-risk group for distracted driving and involvement in car accidents.Parents need to set a good example for their teenage children, and the first lesson would be to focus 100% on the task of driving.You shouldn’t be using cell phones to text at any time at all while driving, but they must absolutely be switched off if you have a teenager or a preteen in the car with you.There are enough studies to illustrate the dangers of texting and having a conversation on a cell phone while driving.A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that motorists who were texting while driving had a four times higher risk of being involved in an accident.
Georgia has a ban on texting while driving for all drivers.However, the ban comes with light penalties, and may not be as effective in preventing distracted driving as Atlanta car accident lawyers hope.Therefore, it’s important that parents take their responsibilities seriously, and teach children the importance of concentrating on the road while driving.
The Atlanta auto accident lawyers at the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers represent persons injured in auto accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, speak with an experienced car accident lawyer at our firm.