16-year-old deaths increased 24% in 2012
One side-effect of the technology age means people have plenty of distractions behind the wheel.
According to TXDOT, last year the number of deaths of 16-year-old drivers increased 24% over 2011. Trooper Richard Standifer with DPS says kids today have grown up with technology that can prove to be fatal when used while driving. Trooper Standifer teaches anti-drinking and driving courses for area schools and has added curricula to his course to address the increasing problem of distracted driving.
Many states across the U.S. have already banned things like texting while driving and Texas is considering such legislation this session. Distracted driving accounted for over 10% of the fatal accidents that involved people 20-years-old and younger in 2011.
A average driver takes their eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds when looking at a text message. Driving at 55-mph, a driver will travel the length of a football field blind, in that time.
