THE PROBLEM A driver is considered to be engaging in distracted driving when the driver’s attention is focused away from the primary task of driving, onto another person, object, or task, such as checking a mobile phone (WHO, 2011). In 2013, an estimated 424,000 people were injured and 3,154 people were killed in automobile crashes involving distracted driving (NHTS, 2015). These statistics reveal a decline from data received in 2008, in which 515,000 injuries and 5,870 fatalities were attributed to distracted driving (NHTSA, 2009). However, with trends suggesting that road traffic injuries will rise from being the ninth to the fifth leading cause of death and the increasing prevalence of texting among drivers, distracted driving through
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Motor-vehicle crashes remains one of the leading causes of death for youths, as teenagers have the highest rate of crash involvement and are less engage in safe driving behaviors, such as wearing a seatbelt, than adults (AAP, 2013). Younger drivers, specifically drivers below the age of 20, are especially impacted by mobile phone usage while driving, as they constitute the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes (NHTS, 2015). In 2012, approximately half of the high school students in the United States admitted to texting while driving, and according to the a study done by the American Academy of Pediatrics, teenage drivers are twice as likely to text and drive than their adult counterparts, and are moreover, less likely to disengage in distracted driving, despite their lack of experience with road hazards (AAP, …show more content…
In recognition of the dangers of texting while driving, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13513- a federal-government wide ban on texting with the purpose of “saving lives, reducing injuries, and setting an example for both state and local governments, employers, and individual drivers” (Executive Order 13513). Currently, 46 states have laws that prohibit texting and driving for all drivers, and 38 states have special laws that prohibit all cell phone use by novice drivers (GHSA, 2016). Moreover, 20 states have specific laws prohibiting cell-phone use while driving for bus drivers (GHSA, 2016). However, despite these laws and their effectiveness in reducing mobile-phone related automobile crashes, distracted driving remains an important health and safety
Motor-vehicle crashes remains one of the leading causes of death for youths, as teenagers have the highest rate of crash involvement and are less engage in safe driving behaviors, such as wearing a seatbelt, than adults (AAP, 2013). Younger drivers, specifically drivers below the age of 20, are especially impacted by mobile phone usage while driving, as they constitute the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes (NHTS, 2015). In 2012, approximately half of the high school students in the United States admitted to texting while driving, and according to the a study done by the American Academy of Pediatrics, teenage drivers are twice as likely to text and drive than their adult counterparts, and are moreover, less likely to disengage in distracted driving, despite their lack of experience with road hazards (AAP, …show more content…
In recognition of the dangers of texting while driving, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13513- a federal-government wide ban on texting with the purpose of “saving lives, reducing injuries, and setting an example for both state and local governments, employers, and individual drivers” (Executive Order 13513). Currently, 46 states have laws that prohibit texting and driving for all drivers, and 38 states have special laws that prohibit all cell phone use by novice drivers (GHSA, 2016). Moreover, 20 states have specific laws prohibiting cell-phone use while driving for bus drivers (GHSA, 2016). However, despite these laws and their effectiveness in reducing mobile-phone related automobile crashes, distracted driving remains an important health and safety