It has happened again in the Treasure Valley. A teen is dead after mixing cell phone use and driving. Taylor Sauer, aged 18, rear ended a truck on January 14th near Mountain Home. Police say she did not brake before hitting a slow moving truck with its flashers on. Police also discovered Taylor was chatting with a friend on the social network, Facebook, via her cell phone moments before the accident. Police believe distracted driving, aka using a cell phone while traveling seventy five miles down the Interstate, to be the cause of the crash.
There are laws proposed against cell phone use while driving, teens are lectured in driver's education courses and there are multiple campaigns to educate and stop texting and driving. Yet, according to www.textkills.com (2011), 84% of teens know using their cell phone while driving will increase their risk of crashing, but 86% of teens are still using their cell phones while driving. So what is the answer?
Like many issues with teens, the answer may begin at home. Despite what teens may say, or how they may act, they are mostly listening to their parents and they are always watching. It is important to talk to your teen about the dangers of texting and driving. Talk about it a lot. Repetition is key for learning. Taylor's death would be a good place to start this conversation. Perhaps of more importance than discussions and lectures, however, is modeling good driving habits. Your teen needs to see you put your cell phone away and concentrate on the driving task at hand. Be a good role model. Your example may save your teen's life.
Most Teens Still Driving While Distracted. (2011, March 3). Textkills.com. Retrieved from http://www.textkills.com
Lutz, A. (2011). Teen's phone recovered after deadly crash with semi-trucks. KTVB.com. Retrieved from http://www.ktvb.com
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