There is a new course offered at Tewksbury Memorial High School: Distractology 101. This course is to help raise awareness and educate our teenage drivers about the risks associated with distracted driving as teens continue to be some of the worst offenders. This course comes equipped with a simulator tour that gives students a hands-on experience to see just what can happen as a result of distracted driving, according to Wicked Local.
“It is rather a state-of-the-art piece of equipment that gives drivers a real-life look at potential disastrous driving situations,” said Distractology Coordinator Danny Corcoran with the Arbella Insurance Group.
Our car accident lawyers in Boston understand that this crash course in distracted driving uses only 45 minutes to help exposure teenage drivers to 8 very difficult and dangerous scenarios that we see everyday on our roads. Through these scenarios, teens are able to see just how disastrous driving while text messaging can be. According to recent studies, there are about 3,000 people killed in accidents that involve a distracted driver in the U.S. each year. In addition to these fatalities, another 420,000 people are injured in these incidents.
Teens are reminded to be ready for every possible hazard, including bicyclists, pedestrians, little woodland creatures and even other distracted drivers. If you’re distracted for even a few seconds, a quick ride home can turn into a long hospital stay. And nothing cramps your style more than a full body cast, a sobbing parent or being charged with reckless driving.
One of the best things that you can suggest to your newly-licensed driver is to keep their phone out of reach. Avoid the temptation altogether by putting it somewhere completely inaccessible.
But you can’t stop at being a great driver. You’ve also got to be a great passenger! Make sure to call out your friends, and even your parents, if you see them using a cell phone behind the wheel.
Car accidents are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2010, more than 2,500 teens died in crashes — seven deaths every day — and teen drivers are three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in fatal crashes.
For drivers 19-years-old or younger involved in fatal crashes, 11 percent were reported as distracted at the time of the accident; the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted among all age groups.
Talk with your teen today. Make sure you not only reiterate the dangers associated with distracted driving, but you’re also setting a safe example when they’re riding along with you. Set a household rule to keep all cell phones and mobile communication devices out of the driver’s seat. Remember that Massachusetts state law prohibits drivers under the age of 18 from talking on a cell phone or text messaging in the driver’s seat. Not only is it illegal, but it’s dangerous.
If you were involved in a Boston car accident, contact Jeffrey S. Glassman for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call (617) 777-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Resolving to be a Better Boston Driver in 2014, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, January 10, 2014
Window Tinting, Accident Risks, and Massachusetts Law, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, January 2, 2014