Regardless of our age, we have all heard people bemoan the fact that young people never listen, that they think they know it all and that they do not have respect for others. That's been a common theme throughout human history, as even Socrates talked about this perceived problem. This belief has led to aggressive and in some cases relentless measures being taken by concerned adults when it comes to different issues of safety, particularly when it comes to driving vehicles.
Perhaps that effort is paying off with regards to teens and the use of cell phones while they are behind the wheels of vehicles. Recently, the American Automobile Association, or AAA, completed a survey regarding the use of phones while driving, and that survey revealed that no age group under 60 years of age uses cell phones while driving less than those motorists between the ages of 16 and 18.
The results of the survey prompted surprised reactions by many experts who have reviewed them. From the link above, the percentage of people who admitted to using cell phones while driving and their corresponding age groups appear below:
Age Use Phone While Driving Use Phone Often While Driving
- 16-18 = 58 percent
- 19-24 = 72 percent
- 25-39 = 82 percent
- 40-59 = 72 percent
- 60-74 = 51 percent
- 75+ = 31 percent
While this is certainly interesting, teen drivers did not score quite as well when the question was limited to whether or not they had sent or read text messages while driving during the previous 30 days, although they still scored better than those immediately older than them:
Age Sent Text/Email While Driving Sent Text/Email Often While Driving
- 16-18 = 31 percent
- 19-24 = 42 percent
- 25-39 = 45 percent
- 40-59 = 24 percent
- 60-74 = 7 percent
- 75+ = 1 percent
Based on the results of both questions, it appears that instead of new drivers, motorists between the ages of 19 and 39 are most likely to engage in some sort of dangerous activity involving a cell phone or a hand-held device.
However, it should be noted that many states now have graduated driver's license laws, whereby teens are not really allowed to be fully independent drivers until they reach the age of 18. Regardless, these results were not necessarily expected, and it will be interesting to see what happens as these groups get older and more awareness regarding the dangers of distracted driving is achieved. As for now, distracted driving unfortunately remains a serious problem.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a crash that was caused by someone who was not paying attention to the road at the time, contact a car accident attorney in Las Vegas, NV at High Stakes Injury Law today to schedule a free initial consultation.