The dangers of distracted driving are well known as Oprah promoted her No Phone Zone campaign and First Coast News is sponsoring the Great Hang Up! However we rarely see the dangers of bicycling and texting or talking on your cellphone. Should we call it distracted riding?
As school has opened on the First Coast (Duval, Clay and St. Johns County) you can see many teenagers biking to school or their neighborhood bike spot. How many of them have you seen reading a text or typing one while biking with one hand on handle bars.
According to the recent Nielsen Study, Florida ranks fourth in the country for cellphone usage and it was clear in the report that teens rule when it comes to texting. Do they text while biking? Two wheel texting is more common now since school opened, while teens arrange meeting their friends and planning the social events of the day.
Start watching today, how many teens are you witnessing texting, talking and biking? When you see this, be sure to use extra caution while approaching. God forbid there is an accident, in many cases the driver of the car will be held accountable when it was the teen that drifted into the road by being distracted.
Stop, talk, repeat, talk again - you can never talk enough about the dangers of distracted biking or driving. Remember parents, be an example to your kids!
Be an educated parent, you will have safer teens!
Watch video below for potential ban on texting and biking.
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