Atlanta Teen Drivers Talk Distracted Driving Statistics | WABE 90.1 FM

Atlanta Teen Drivers Talk Distracted Driving Statistics | WABE ...
Listen Live
http://wabe.org/post/atlanta-teen-drivers-talk-distracted-driving-...
WABE Schedule
A Closer Look with Rose Scott and Denis O'Hayer
More Intelligent Radio On WABE
25 new hours of new local
programming
WABE Mobile
DONATE NOW
HIV/AIDS
Half Of Atlanta's Newly Diagnosed
HIV Patients Have AIDS, Grady
Testing Finds
WABE Is Social
Join the WABE Community on our
Facebook Page
Quick Links:
Weather
Traffic
AtlantaPlanit.com
Local
Community Events Calendar
American Graduate
12:51 PM FRI APRIL 3, 2015
Atlanta Teen Drivers Talk Distracted Driving
Statistics
By CANDACE WHEELER (/PEOPLE/CANDACE-WHEELER)
(http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/wabe/files/201303/texting_while_driving_2.jpg)
The No. 1 cause of teen distracted driving car crashes is not texting while driving, but actually interacting with
a passenger.
Credit Daniel Stagner / flickr.com/38147529@N03
Nearly 58 percent of serious teen accidents are caused by what’s known as “distracted
driving” ─ like when there’s too many people in the car or the driver is texting.
This data comes from a recent study by AAA that the group is calling an
“unprecedented” look at teen crashes.
To demonstrate how distracted teen drivers can be, AAA compiled a greatest hits of
sorts of teen crashes with video footage of both what the driver is doing and what’s in
front of them on the road.
AAA viewed over 1,700 videos of teen crashes.
“And it showed that they’re doing all kinds of things in the car – changing stations on
the radio, chit chatting to their neighbor," says Nathan Lewitt, owner of Nathan’s
1 of 3
4/7/15, 12:17 PM
Atlanta Teen Drivers Talk Distracted Driving Statistics | WABE ...
http://wabe.org/post/atlanta-teen-drivers-talk-distracted-driving-...
Driving School. "Looking in the backseat – the kids in the backseat are hitting the
driver in the head.”
Lewitt's school teaches about 1,800 students each year.
A lack of experience is the biggest reason teens have accidents, Lewitt says.
“If someone came to a professional
driving school and took six hours in the
car, and they got their driver’s license ─
would you feel comfortable letting them
drive you around town knowing they’ve
only driven six hours?” Lewitt says. “So,
typically 16 and 17 year olds haven’t had
lots and lots of practice.”
Atlanta International School student
Hallie Lonial, 18, disagrees.
“I think there’s definitely a counter
argument to be made especially after I
just finished driver’s ed, and, I don’t
know about you guys, a lot of my friends
said this as well that right after they
finished driver’s ed, was the most careful
they have ever been in their lives," says
Lonial. "Just because we did watch all the
videos. Just because we learned all the
traffic laws. We had to pass a test to be
able to get our driver’s license.”
There’s also all of the commercials says
student Amela Orlovic, 18.
She remembers one she saw about a teen
driver who’s texting her mom and almost
hits a woman walking with her child.
“You wouldn’t think that something like
that could really, really happen,"
Orlovic says. "Something as innocent as
trying to tell your mom you’re going to be
home could cause so much damage.”
According to AAA, however, texting and
driving isn’t the leading cause of teen
accidents ─ it’s having another person in
the car.
(http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/wabe/files
/201504/aaateendriver_032615_01.jpg)
Credit Charles Jones / WABE
Lonial agrees.
“I definitely think it’s an awkward teenage thing, and it’s easier said than done,” Lonial
says. “Just to say, you know, say something; just tell them to stop texting, tell them that
you’ll do it for them, or, you know, quiet down in the backseat.”
Lonial's classmate, Sean Kahn, 18, says awareness campaigns can only do so much.
“Even after all of the information that has been provided to us,” he says, “you know,
with the possible repercussions of our actions some people still choose to do it, and you
can’t really do anything about that can you?”
Kahn says teenage boys may be even more distracted.
“We usually turn up rap music really, really loud and drive kinda fast,” Kahn says. “I
2 of 3
4/7/15, 12:17 PM
Atlanta Teen Drivers Talk Distracted Driving Statistics | WABE ...
http://wabe.org/post/atlanta-teen-drivers-talk-distracted-driving-...
mean, maybe it’s like a guy thing, like to just try to act cool while you’re driving. And
most of the girls that I’ve driven with are usually pretty cautious, but I’m not saying
that they don’t do it too.”
Driving school owner Lewitt says most teenagers end up at his school because of
Joshua’s Law. The law was passed in 2005 and requires all 16 year olds applying for a
license to complete a driver education course.
So what is the biggest factor in teen wrecks?
Lewitt says it's parents.
“Driving schools we get them for six hours. Parents have them for 15-16 year[s]. If
you're the kind of parent who eats while you drive then kids will think: ‘Why can't I eat
if I drive?’ If parents text while they’re driving ─ then why can’t a teen text while
they’re driving?” Lewitt says.
One of AAA's main recommendations for curbing teen accidents is to ban all teens
from cell phone use while driving.
TAGS:
teen distracted driving aaa (/term/teen-distracted-driving-aaa)
(/term/teen-drivers-ga)
teen drivers ga
atlanta teen drivers (/term/atlanta-teen-drivers)
survey aaa (/term/distracted-driver-survey-aaa)
distracted driver
teen car crashes ga (/term/teen-car-crashes-ga)
Related Content:
Local
All Tech
Considered
Distracted Driving A
Factor In 60 Percent
Of Teen Crashes
Distracted Driving:
We're All Guilty, So
What Should We Do
(/post/distracted-drivingfactor-60-percent-teen-crashes)
0 Comments
♥ Recommend
end-teens-distracted-dr
!
WABE
⤤ Share
Login
Sort by Best
Start the discussion…
✉
3 of 3
Subscribe
d
Add Disqus to your site
%
Privacy
4/7/15, 12:17 PM