A new study claims that teenagers use their smartphones while driving even though they are aware of the dangers it poses. The age of the participants in the report ranged from 16 to 18 year olds.
The study was lead by Catherine McDonald, who is the assistant professor in the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing. The researchers recruited 30 teenagers for the process and conducted focus groups to understand the phenomena of distracted driving, with the ultimate goal of developing an intervention to keep them safe.
The researchers examined and analyzed their findings in terms of driver inattention, which they thought of as relative to a participant’s hands on the wheel, eyes on the road and mind on the task of driving. The 2 biggest distractions which emerged were phones and fellow passengers. Most of the adolescents said they understood the dangers of texting and driving, but indulged in the practice anyway.
Some asserted that they did not use their handset while driving, instead waiting till a red light to do so. The data also revealed information such as the distinction between texting and social media. The teenagers thought checking Twitter did not count as messaging while driving, in addition to clicking a person’s photo.
Who the participants were communicating with also made an impact. For instance, they were more likely to immediately respond to a partner or parent rather than a random friend. The same behavior is exhibited in a scenario where they receive a call or text from the person they are meeting, as opposed to a message from anyone.
As per PTI, the study further discovered that the more passengers in the car, the more the risk of a fatal car crash grows among teen drivers.