Technology can bolster efforts by parents, lawmakers and insurance companies to reduce distracted driving among novice teen drivers, according to a study to be presented Monday, April 27 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in San Diego.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of accidental death for teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Studies suggest that the use of voice/text devices while driving is associated with crash risks up to 24 times higher than when cell phones are not used to talk or text while driving.
“The risks of electronic distraction for young drivers are very real, but facts and figures have not done enough to change driver behavior”, said lead author Beth Ebel, MD, MSc, MPH, FAAP, director of the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center and associate professor of pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine.
