Auto Insurance: Top Distractions for Young Drivers
Auto Insurance: Top Distractions for Young Drivers
You want your young driver to be safe. As they hit the road for the first time, you worry about other drivers and vehicles out on the road. But, sometimes, the biggest danger to your teen driver could be inside the car.
We’ve talked about the dangers of texting and driving, but distractions on the road go beyond just using smartphones- and the consequences can be just as dangerous. Distracted driving is defined as “any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving.” Driving distractions endanger not only the driver, but places passengers and bystanders at risk.
The top distractions are:
- Texting
- Using a cell phone
- Eating and drinking
- Talking to passengers
- Grooming
- Reading, including maps
- Using navigation systems
- Watching a video
- Adjusting the radio, CD, or MP3 player.
Because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention (You have to take your eyes, of the road to look, your hands away from the wheel to type, and you must think of the message, taking your attention of the road), it is by far the most dangerous distraction.
It is more than just an over-alarmed hype. In 2011, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver. Eleven percent of all drivers under the age of 20 who were involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted. And 40 percent of American teens said they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone.
Distracted driving not only increases the likelihood of an accident, but the seriousness Drivers who use handheld devices are four times likely to get in serious-injury crashes. And text messaging creates a crash risk twenty-three times worse than driving while not distracted.
You want to get the best protection possible for your beloved risky teenager. Protect you and your family by getting comprehensive Connecticut auto insurance with Byrnes Agency. We provide communities throughout the Connecticut area. Contact us today for more information.
Dayville Office
860-774-8549
Norwich Office
860-886-5498
Woodstock Office
860-928-7928