TimmyHHands off the phone. Eyes on the road.
July 14th 2008 03:08
Australian teenagers have long been warned of the dangers of driving cars. So often we hear about the dangers associated with driving recklessly, tired or drunk. But recent data has suggested that despite heavy fines being imposed and the obvious safety concerns of driving distracted, mobile phones are some of the most dangerous obstacles on the road these days.
Teenagers have been conditioned to have their phones with them constantly. Friends, relatives, bosses and coaches all expect them to be contactable at a moment’s notice. This naturally extends to driving. Young drivers are so overconfident in their abilities on the road that few see driving while talking or texting to be dangerous. In fact, most would laugh at you when the illegality of the practice is raised.
Teens are going to use their phones whenever they are physically capable of it. The danger being that by using phones while driving they aren’t just risking their own lives. But are we, like a proverbial catholic priest, jumping on teens too quickly and without thinking?
A recent study to come out of the US has revealed that while 60 percent of teens are using their mobile phones to talk while driving, a staggering 88 percent of adults are doing the same thing. When it comes to texting (an infinitely more dangerous endeavour) teens take the lead, with over a third looking at their screens instead of the road in front of them. It is interesting to see that teens are actually less inclined to talk on their phones while driving than their elder counterparts.
Although laws have been enacted recently across Australia to try and curb the use of mobile phones in cars, they appear to have had little impact. In NSW, this could possibly be because no demerit points are assigned to the charge and only a fine is administered. But there is also a chance that no matter the measures taken by legislators, the general public has decided that talking on the phone while driving is permissible and will continue to do it.
Adults talk on their mobile phones primarily for work and secondly for organising their daily lives. But teens seem inclined to use their phones for socialising at all times, regardless of other activities they are engaged in. They should be asking themselves, is their social life more important than their real life?
Teenagers have been conditioned to have their phones with them constantly. Friends, relatives, bosses and coaches all expect them to be contactable at a moment’s notice. This naturally extends to driving. Young drivers are so overconfident in their abilities on the road that few see driving while talking or texting to be dangerous. In fact, most would laugh at you when the illegality of the practice is raised.
Teens are going to use their phones whenever they are physically capable of it. The danger being that by using phones while driving they aren’t just risking their own lives. But are we, like a proverbial catholic priest, jumping on teens too quickly and without thinking?
A recent study to come out of the US has revealed that while 60 percent of teens are using their mobile phones to talk while driving, a staggering 88 percent of adults are doing the same thing. When it comes to texting (an infinitely more dangerous endeavour) teens take the lead, with over a third looking at their screens instead of the road in front of them. It is interesting to see that teens are actually less inclined to talk on their phones while driving than their elder counterparts.
Although laws have been enacted recently across Australia to try and curb the use of mobile phones in cars, they appear to have had little impact. In NSW, this could possibly be because no demerit points are assigned to the charge and only a fine is administered. But there is also a chance that no matter the measures taken by legislators, the general public has decided that talking on the phone while driving is permissible and will continue to do it.
Adults talk on their mobile phones primarily for work and secondly for organising their daily lives. But teens seem inclined to use their phones for socialising at all times, regardless of other activities they are engaged in. They should be asking themselves, is their social life more important than their real life?
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