Raising a teenager can pose some challenges for parents in North Carolina and elsewhere. Not only are they dealing with their growing need of independence, they are also accepting the fact that their child is now old enough to operate a motor vehicle. While getting a driver’s license is a major event for any teen, it is also a concerning time for parents, as motor vehicle accidents occur on a daily basis.
The last thing a parent wants to hear is that their teen was involved in a crash. And with the growing concerns for distracted driving, parents have many anxieties when it comes to cell phone usage while driving. However, as a recent study points out, parents have more influence on their phone usage than they think.
Based on this study, it was found that when teen driving are talking on their phones while driving, more often than not they are talking their parents. Researchers discovered that around 53% of teen drivers that confirmed that they talked on their phone while driving stated that they were talking to their parents. In contract, 46% of these teen drivers said they were talking to a friend.
The teen drivers that participated in the study explained that they felt expected to answer their phone when his or her parent calls. Some stated that a parent would continue to call them until they picked up.
But talking on the phone while driving is not the only distracted driving concern parents have regarding teen drivers. Texting while driving remains an issue for teen drivers as well as drivers in all age groups. This study found that when it came to texting while driving, they were more likely to text a friend than a parent.
In the state of North Carolina, there is a texting and driving ban. This means that a motorist could face a traffic offense if observed by law enforcement. However, getting a ticket for texting and driving is the least concern for motorist when it comes to this form of distracted driving. Being involved in an accident caused by a distracted driver could be the result of serious injuries and harms. Thus, it is important that accident victims consider their rights and options when it comes to addressing these damages.
A personal injury action is a possible step accident victims could take. This legal action not only helps establish cause of the crash, it could also help assign liability. If a distracted driver is at fault, a personal injury action could assist a victim with the recovery of compensation to address the losses caused by the accident.
