Teens at high risk of Phoenix car accidents caused by distracted driving — despite knowing better

The vast majority of teens continue to engage in dangerous behavior while behind the wheel — despite knowing better, the USA Today reported.

As our Phoenix accident attorneys reported recently on our Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, Arizona is one of the few states that have no laws banning teenagers or adults from using cell phones or text messaging while behind the wheel.FOX 11 reported earlier this year that the Arizona Senate shot down a proposed ban for the second year in a row.

The USA Today reports Arizona joins just 11 other states with no laws aimed at combating distracted driving: Florida, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North and South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, and New Mexico and Hawaii.

The new survey by Seventeen Magazine found that nearly 90 percent of teen drivers engage in distracted driving behavior, including talking on a cell phone or text messaging, despite knowing that it puts them at increased risk for an accident.

“Teens do continue to drive distracted even when they recognize the dangers,” says William Van Tassel, manager of AAA’s driver training programs. “Driving is the first real adult responsibility, but let’s face it, they’re still teens whose brains aren’t fully developed.”

The survey of 1,999 teens ages 16 to 19 found that 84 percent were aware that distracted driving increased their risk of an accident. Yet 86 percent admitted to engaging in some form of distracted driving, including texting, using a cell phone, applying makeup, eating or traveling with four or more passengers in the car.

Other findings of the study include:

-Older teens are more likely to engage in distracted driving than newly licensed teens ages 16 or 17.

-Teens driving their own vehicle were more likely to engage in distracted driving than teens having to share a vehicle.

-Reasons teens cited for distracted driving included: Didn’t think they would get hurt (35 percent); made driving less boring (22 percent); and the need to be constantly connected (21 percent).

If you have been injured in a traffic accident, contact the Phoenix injury lawyers at Abels & Annes for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call (602) 819-5191 today.