Sharing the road with teenage drivers is an inevitable part of life for most Illinois residents, but even the safest, most conscientious teen drivers present a threat to the public due to a lack of experience. While this inexperience can make drivers less sure of what to do in the event of a car wreck or otherwise impact their judgment, many teen drivers are engaging in behaviors that make them even more dangerous to the motoring public. At the Law Office of Kerley & Associated, we understand that texting and driving continues to be a major problem among teenagers, and we have helped many people injured in distracted driving car crashes pursue appropriate recourse in the aftermath.
According to Reuters, the texting and driving problem continues to be pervasive among teenagers, even though the media, driver’s education programs and other sources have well-publicized the dangers associated with doing so. In a recent survey involving more than 101,300 teenage drivers from 35 states, an alarming 38 percent of them reported that they had texting while operating a vehicle at some time or another.
Also troubling is the fact that, of the 35 states featured in the survey, 34 of them had banned texting and driving for motorists under the age of 21, but this did not appear to have an impact on the frequency of the act. Additionally, the issue appears to be more pronounced in some states than others. In Maryland, for example, about 26 percent of teens acknowledged texting behind the wheel, while nearly 65 percent of South Dakota’s teenagers admitted to doing the same.
Survey results also revealed that, the earlier a teen begins driving, the earlier he or she is likely to begin texting while driving. You can find out more about car crashes on our webpage.