Teens & Distracted Driving

(http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/Teens-and-Distracted-Driving.aspx?r=1)

1. “[My dad] drives like he’s drunk. His phone is just like sitting right in front of his face, and he puts his knees on the bottom of the steering wheel and tries to text.”

It's one thing when we DWT (Driving While Texting), but when adults do it, many questions arise:
WTF? Why? What are you thinking? Is there children in the car? If so, do you realize you are putting their lives in your texts, I mean hands? You just have to wonder.

2. The frequency of teens reporting parent cell phone use behind the wheel in our focus groups was striking, and suggested that, in many cases, texting while driving is a family affair.

Again, a child's actions and behavior starts at home.

3. Texting was not the only cause for concern among the teens who participated in our focus groups. We also heard about the distractions of drivers trying to access Global Positioning System (GPS) information while cars were in motion. And some teens cited other applications available on smartphones that take the driver’s eyes off the road.

“My dad, he wasn’t really texting, but when he drives, he has a GPS on his Blackberry, so when he’s driving, he looks down at his phone” said one middle school boy, “…so it’s like the same [as] being distracted from the road. My mom always gets on him about how it’s unsafe and stuff.”

A GPS can be helpful, but it can also be a B%&$# at times. Hell, any electronic device can be a distraction for even the most simple-minded.