New Evidence Shows Teen Driver Distraction Often Precedes Crash

While recent studies show that teens are driving more distractedly than ever, new evidence from AAA indicates that the number of deaths linked to adolescent distracted driving may be higher than previously reported.

AAA has reviewed 1,691 real-time crashes through in-car cameras and audio recording devices. None of the accidents resulted in fatalities.

In a story published in The Santa Fe New Mexican, Peter Kissinger, president and chief executive officer of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, explained that researchers have learned that teen drivers are distracted in a much greater percentage than was previously believed as more data has become available.

Access to crash videos has allowed us to better understand the moments leading up to a vehicle impact in a way that was previously impossible, Kissinger said.

AAAs analysis found texting, talking, grooming and even singing and dancing to be among the causes of distraction prior to the crashes. Namely, any activity that took the drivers eyes off of the road. This was a factor in 58 percent of all crashes studied. Prior to this new research, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated teen driver distraction was only a factor in 14 percent of crashes.

Further statistics from AAAs study include:

• 76 percent of rear-end accidents involved some type of distraction
• 89 percent of crashes that resulted in the vehicle being off of the road were linked to distraction
• Accidents happened in an average of 4.1 seconds after a teen took their eyes off of the road to use their phone

This study is not the first of its kind. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute conducted similar research in 2012 and found that using a hand-held phone or other portable electronic device triples crash risk.

Milwaukee Car Accident Lawyers Against Distracted Driving

Our firm knows firsthand how dangerous distracted driving can be, not to mention how irresponsible it is. We fight for the rights of victims who have been harmed by the carelessness of distracted drivers.

Were you hit in a distracted driving crash? Contact an injury lawyer from Pitman, Kalkhoff, Sicula & Dentice today. We are ready to listen to the details of your case and provide legal advice for you and your family.

Call 414-333-3333 or fill out our online case evaluation form.