Distracted Teens Cant Drive?

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 03/27/2015 at 15:58 • Filed to: safety

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In a finding literally no one finds surprising, a AAA revealed the true cause of teens to getting into car accidents. Is it the huge number of "unsafe" recalled vehicles? Is it lack of experience? Is it bear attacks?

Yeah, no. I think we ALL saw this one coming. According to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! its distracted driving.

But how bad is it? How about 6 of every 10 crashes bad

Yeah, 60%! That's bad. Reading though the study it points to 2 biggest culprits:

1. Passenger distraction (talking to friends)

2. Cell phones.

Passenger distractions were more common but didn't involve leaving the road, which was the case in 34% of crashes involving phones.

Like I said, this isn't even remotely surprising to anyone who's driven but what can be done about it?

That's the question, because the reality of the situation is that although laws are in place regarding new drivers not being allowed to drive with passengers in many states and a general widespread adoption of cell phone driving laws they don't seem to be having the desired effect.

There are a couple of ideas I have floating around, ranging from better education to some kind of teenage death cage tournament. But what do you think? What is going to prevent these kids from killing themselves and others behind the wheel?

bob and john > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:00

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this actually works GREAT with an article i'm writing right now

ranwhenparked > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:02

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I don't buy what this is selling, next you'll be telling me that 20 something opiate addicts get in a lot of accidents.

Converse > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:02

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Their parents. That's what is going to save them. It's been said in many different places (some more believable than others) that adults are more likely to use their phone while driving (both talking and texting).

As most of us who are aware while we drive on the road with other people, most people do not have a clue how to drive in the first place. When those some clueless people drive their children around (teaching them through observation) and then actually attempt to teach them while proclaiming the evils of phones and driving, the teenager is left possibly more confused than before. Then we release them on the roads and are surprised and outraged by the results.

HammerheadFistpunch > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:02

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my suggestion:

Car manufactures STOP PUTTING DISTRACTING FEATURES IN YOUR CARS! We don't want/need nor should we have, clearly, twitter feeds on the center screen

Hey, y'all, watch this! > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:04

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Maybe add bear attacks into the equation. Nothing teaches you to focus on the here and now like an angry bear.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:05

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Wait, is that acytually a thing? I remember there was a comic ad about Facebook connectivity ending with a wreck, but is this a thing for reals?

HammerheadFistpunch > Converse 03/27/2015 at 16:06

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I guess I can see that to a degree, but I have a hard time really believing it fully. I mean, I am of the age where cell phone addition JUST skirted my teenage years and so I don't really have a problem not looking at my phone all the time because I didn't grow into it like people do now and my kids aren't nearly old enough to be picking up these kinds of habits from me. I will say that the there are people of my generation and older that adopted cell phone addiction with much more zeal than me, but that explanation still doesn't makes sense given the age of new drivers on the road right now. I will agree that if you are an adult and you are being distracted by your phone with kids in the car then you need your nuts tazzed for a variety of reasons.

deekster_caddy > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:07

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BUT I LOVE USING MY REARVIEW MIRROR TO UPDATE MY FACEBOOK STATUS!

/sarcasm

/caps (sorry)

HammerheadFistpunch > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 03/27/2015 at 16:07

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for really reals its a thing.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:08

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The cynic in me says that nothing can be done. Those who are smart will not drive distracted. Those who are really dumb will win Darwin Awards. Driving takes skill, skill which some don't have.

deekster_caddy > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:08

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Death Cage Tournament. Bring it!

HammerheadFistpunch > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 03/27/2015 at 16:08

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Thing is, it doesn't even take THAT much skill, just enough to not NOT care.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:08

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Damn, just... Damn.

deekster_caddy > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:08

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really

Wilsonic > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:09

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The solution to the two biggest culprits:

1. 2-seater

2. Stick shift.

My god, Miata IS always the answer.

HammerheadFistpunch > Hey, y'all, watch this! 03/27/2015 at 16:09

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Its like I always say: if you are being attacked by a bear, it doesn't matter what else you are doing, being attacked by a bear is the main thing.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:09

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I wonder what the stats are if we were to compare it to the mass population, I bet it would be pretty similar. I doubt much less than 40%, to be honest.

scoob > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:09

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Teenage death cage tournament. All us teenage Opponauts will survive!

Anyways, the fact that we are moving towards cars that drive themselves and correct driver errors tells idiots that it's ok to drive while being an idiot. Why? Because the car will "save" you.

The future of driving looks dim.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:09

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Design a system that requires a driver to dock their phone to the car before it can start which will then disable text messaging and will only accept voice commands. Speach recognition is to a point where you don't need to use the screen as an input device.

Hey, y'all, watch this! > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:10

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Exactly.

deekster_caddy > Converse 03/27/2015 at 16:10

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This. Parental involvement is a big deal. I will be educating and monitoring my kids to make sure they understand the importance of driving, and focusing on only driving, until they show enough responsibility to be able to multitask, and that will probably not be while they are teens.

I know my kids are going to hate me for a few years, but they will survive dammit!

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:11

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Indeed. I guess what I'm trying to say is respect driving, or don't drive. No matter what people say, cars and driving are things you have to respect.

HammerheadFistpunch > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 03/27/2015 at 16:16

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I read someplace that the problem with driving is that we do it too much, that is to say, we do the same kind of driving too much and so we condition our brain into thinking that a difficult or important thing is mundane. The complexity of the task and the severity of the consequences never change, only the personal disregard of the reality of the consiquences.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:18

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I can't reply to the main article, so I'll do it here:

I'm pretty sure you could strike out "teen" in that headline, it just would be less sensational.

And no, I'm not one of them, so the issue of bias doesn't arise.

Snooder87 > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:18

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Well, for one it would be nice if we stopped demonizing "infotainment" and "cell phones" and admitted that distracted driving, which includes such time-honored traditions as showing off to your girl, ogling hot babe's walking on the sidewalk, and eating while driving, is not a new phenomenon.

Look, kids are always going to be shitty drivers. There's an inherent combination of inexperience, hormones, and inability to fear mortality that dictates that. And there's nothing you can do about it. If you force them to wait longer to drive, then you'll just have a crop of 20 year old idiots instead of 16 year old idiots.

E. Julius > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:18

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The singing/dancing to music section reminds of when I got pulled over at 16 because I was enjoying a Beach Boys song too much to notice the cop running the speed trap just down the road #smart

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:19

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That's a very interesting way of looking at it. I guess people don't think of what could happen if they follow too close, or if they don't signal while changing lanes. That's the problem. Most people see driving as a chore, and they don't think of the consequences.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 03/27/2015 at 16:20

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I would qualify that:

You first give them the information about the danger, and THEN the smart will not drive distracted.

iakona > Converse 03/27/2015 at 16:22

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I completely agree with this. When I was learning to drive, my dad drilled situational awareness as much as knowing the rules of the road. He figured if I could identify and retain information about the cars around me, and where they were, I would always be paying close enough attention. And to be honest, it stuck. 17 years driving, no accidents(knock on wood) and no close calls either.

And every time we went out driving, he reminded me that I was getting into a 3000+ pound rolling missile, and if I made a mistake or disrespected that fact even once, I might end up in a fender bender, but I might very well kill someone as well.

HammerheadFistpunch > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/27/2015 at 16:22

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its not "sensational" the study focused on Teen drivers. But yeah, distracted driving is a problem for EVERYONE. The only accident I have been in for YEARS (minor fender bender at very slow speeds) was a result of being on a hands free phone call...while being MASSIVELY sleep deprived. Like most things; a failures are a result of many things failing at once. The more checks you put in place, the more have to fail, the safer you are. Its like that Bomb accidentally dropped on North Carolina in the 50's where ALL but 1 failsafe failed. Good thing they asked for 4 instead of 3.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/27/2015 at 16:24

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They tried that. Ever heard of Red Asphalt? It didn't work.

HammerheadFistpunch > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis 03/27/2015 at 16:24

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no its a real problem for all, but teens especially since they are major distraction machines (both input and output)

HammerheadFistpunch > Snooder87 03/27/2015 at 16:25

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I agree with you, I really do...BUT infotainment and cell phones ARE a new distraction, and one that have a direct correlation with accidents. They are right to be demonized.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 03/27/2015 at 16:29

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Can't say I have. Explain

I Will Always Be The Honey Badger > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:30

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Snooder87 > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:31

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Cellphones, sure.

But infotainment? I remember fucking up as a teenager when I tried to fumble with my radio presets and get my cd player to work. And thank god for GPS. I remember back when going anywhere unknown meant getting out a massive paper map or fumbling with printed out directions from Rand McNally or Yahoo maps. You can't tell me that a GPS is less distracting than that bullshit was.

HammerheadFistpunch > Snooder87 03/27/2015 at 16:34

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I don't have anything against GPS, but given that the #1 reason for complaints in new cars is confusing infotainment systems*, I think there is definitely a case to be made for their distraction potential.

*tried to find the Jalopnik story on it, but couldn't remember the title.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/27/2015 at 16:36

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Warning: Graphic.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:38

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Does cellphone usage count if it is your speedometer and that is all you use it for while driving?

HammerheadFistpunch > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 03/27/2015 at 16:40

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distraction is distraction, so it if distracts...that's bad. If not, that's good. I mean, you would have my blessing to keep driving with a dozen live trout in your pants if you could prove a robot like immunity to that distraction.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:41

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You know what I mean...

No maybe you don't. I'm just kind of pissed at the people that do these things, singling out the young drivers. Yes of course teens are often more dangerous, they need experience. Yes of course 60% of their crashes come from distracted driving, I'll bet if you ran the study over the whole of the driving population it would be the same. Maybe this one is comparitively innocent, I don't know, but the headline still rubs me the wrong way.

The worst one I've seen was a New Jersey (I think) insurance ad, something along the lines of:

What happened to teen drivers when New Jersey raissed the driving age to 17? More of them lived to talk about it.

No they fucking didn't. All you did was shift the 19-yo casualties to 20-yo casualties.

There is far too much concentration on the age of the driver, and not enough on TEACHING NEW DRIVERS HOW TO DRIVE, regardless of whether they are 16, 26, 56, etc.

/endrant

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:45

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Well it's as distracting as this, so I think I'm good.

No, I am not driving, that is at idle when well below 0.

HammerheadFistpunch > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/27/2015 at 16:47

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No, I'm sorry, there really is good data to show that teen accident rates as it relates to distraction is higher than the median rate. I understand the frustration around a particular group of peoples being singled out as bad drivers, especially if you are in that group, but the data is clear in that Teens are at highest risk for distraction related crashes

HammerheadFistpunch > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 03/27/2015 at 16:48

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Rats, I was this close to having you put fish in your trousers.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 16:51

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No, I'm not in that group, but it still pisses me off.

Good data accepted tho, I hadn't seen that. Although I'd still like to see a similar study concentrating on how long they'd been driving rather than overall age...

HammerheadFistpunch > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/27/2015 at 16:54

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I have only dabbled in this subject but there are enough good reports that indicate that teens and young adults bear the weight of preventable accidents, mostly driver error (distraction or other)

cornerslide > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/27/2015 at 16:54

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Just because the casualty rate in auto accidents in the age range 16-19 is 3 times higher than any other age group is no reason to have an article focused on teen drivers have the word teen in the headline.

Vintage1982Benz > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 17:06

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I'd argue for Social Darwinism but they are endangering others when on the road, too...

HammerheadFistpunch > Vintage1982Benz 03/27/2015 at 17:08

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yeah, thats the catch 22. I've personally witnessed a pathfinder full of teens plow into the back of my aunts sequoia and nearly push it into a crowd of kids waiting in line for snowcones because he was reading a text. Seriously, I was standing right there on the side of the road when it happened. 3 feet left would have been a news story.

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 17:11

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I'm having a hard time deciding which of the above categories to place masturbation in.

HammerheadFistpunch > Jeff-God-of-Biscuits 03/27/2015 at 17:11

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my guess is that its in the 6%

Vintage1982Benz > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 17:13

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I did dumb things in a car as a teenager. Most of them involved empty parking lots, my mother's Oldsmobile and seeing if one could do reverse donuts in a FWD car.

Like you I don't have much trouble putting the phone down when driving, but that is likely because I never had a cell until I was 19 and moved across country. We gentlemen of a certain age, I guess.

HammerheadFistpunch > Vintage1982Benz 03/27/2015 at 17:14

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To be honest, I fear what I would have been like with the phones and infotainment systems of today. not as good as I was...which wasn't great to start with.

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 17:15

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Uh, no officer, you have it all wrong! I was merely grooming...

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 18:26

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Saw the gizmodo article yesterday with that video. Ridiculous...the future of humanity, ladies and gentlemen!

HammerheadFistpunch > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 03/27/2015 at 18:28

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Gizmodo did a story on this and Jalopnik didn't pick it up? weird.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 18:31

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Yeah, I was surprised to not see it on the Jalopnik front page. In case you didn't get to the graphics and video from the giz article -

http://sploid.gizmodo.com/terrifying-vid…

HammerheadFistpunch > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 03/27/2015 at 18:32

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yeah, I don't read giz, I got the info graphic and video from the source (AAA made the infographic, believe it or not)

Snooder87 > HammerheadFistpunch 03/27/2015 at 19:01

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All that means is that the number one cause of complaints in new cars are idiots who can't read an instruction manual.

Sure, some systems are less intuitive than others. But it's fucking ridiculous that I can't hit the favorites button on my GPS to plot a route to my house when the car is moving even though it takes less thought and focus than changing the radio station. Which nobody is dumb enough to try to legislate.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > cornerslide 03/30/2015 at 09:57

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Cut the sarcasm.

I'm not saying it isn't 3 times as high, I'm just saying that likely it is due more to the INEXPERIENCE than the AGE. (Not that the age doesn't play into it at all, through personal experience there is no way I could deny it)

But since I only have logic rather than stats to back me up, that is my last word here. Criticize if you like, but that's my stand and I'm sticking to it.

cornerslide > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/30/2015 at 16:17

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I'd be happy to cut the sarcasm. The number 1 cause of teen accidents is driver distraction. However I wouldn't be surprised to see that at number 1 or at increasing in a number of age groups. But overall teens have more accidents than any age group.

cornerslide > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/30/2015 at 16:30

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By the way I like the fight in you. Not that way with everyone. I get the feeling that given the information on a subject you would always be willing to learn. Not everyone is that way.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > cornerslide 03/31/2015 at 07:24

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Thanks

:)