Texting while driving is dangerous. Adults know that is true because they see and hear about vehicle accidents that are caused because someone was texting on their cellphone while driving. But, still some adults text while driving anyway.

So, why should we be surprised that teenagers are texting while driving. Part of the problem is that some adults are not setting the example of safe driving. Teens have enough to deal with while driving without texting on a cellphone. A teen is an inexperienced driver who should not be doing anything but watching the road and other drivers when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Britain has put together a PSA video on texting while driving. All adults and teens need to watch the video below.

Teen Texting Dangers

A New Concern for Parents

By Barbara Poncelet, About.com    Created: September 17, 2009

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

 

 

Did we ever think about texting dangers when cell phones first came out? It seems that, as things change, parents have an increasing number of things to worry about. Cell phones are everywhere, and many teens have one. However, it's probably safe to say that the majority of them don't think about how the ways in which they use them can put them at risk. Many adults may not readily think of them either.

Here are some texting dangers that parents should be on the lookout for.

Texting and Driving – A Deadly Combination

My parents were worried about me fiddling with the cassette player when I was a new driver. Now, parents must worry about MP3 players, GPS systems and cell phones. It might seem obvious, but texting and driving don't go together. Any time your teen's attention is taken off the road, it is a set up for an accident. As those of us who drive know, potential dangers come up fast when you are driving. If you are distracted, you can't react appropriately or in time.

A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute spells out how dangerous texting and driving truly is. Researchers studied drivers operating their own vehicles for a collective distance of more than six million miles. Texting was not studied in those operating cars, but texting while driving a truck increased the risk of accident by a stunning 2320%. Dialing a cell phone while driving a car increased risk of an accident by 280%; risk while driving a heavy vehicle increased by 590%.

The researchers concluded that, when texting, one's eyes are off the road for enough time to travel along a road the length of a football field while going 55 miles per hour. That is a long time to not be paying attention to what is happening in front of you. The study states that time not looking at the road is what contributes to the highest number of accidents.

Although laws are still in the works to ban texting while driving, teens should never be texting while driving -- ever. Driving is a privilege for your teen, and you make the rules. For the safety of your teen and for other drivers on the road, no texting while driving needs to be the rule. (The same goes for adults.)

Texting and Sleep – A Subtle Texting Danger

Have you ever seen your teen come down stairs, blurry-eyed, because he hasn't gotten enough sleep? How many times has this been because your child has been up all night texting a friend?

Teens need adequate and uninterrupted sleep in order to be awake and alert for the day ahead. An obvious impact of that sleepiness is on school work, of course. In fact, it's been tied to lower levels of performance in the classroom.

But even more disturbingly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that there are more than 100,000 accidents each year related to drowsiness -- resulting in 1,500 fatalities.

A sleepy teen is an inattentive student -- and driver. If you know or suspect that your child is texting a night, consider make him dock is phone in a common space -- or your room -- every evening.

The above article was borrowed from: http://teenhealth.about.com/od/relationships/a/textingdangers.htm

 

Parents and Teens Cell Phone Use Contract

By Denise Witmer, About.com

Sometimes clear communication in discipline takes the written word. Below is a parenting contract for your personal use. Please feel free to use it as it is or make it your own. After everything is written out and agreed upon, parent and teen should sign the contract. 

Parents and Teens Cell Phone Use Contract

I, _________________________, know that having a cell phone to use is a privilege. I respect that my parents love me and want to keep me safe. My parents respect that I am becoming a young adult and want the privilege of having the use of a cell phone. With that in mind, we agree:

1.      I will remember what usage is allowed with our cell phone plan and I will not go over the limits of that usage. This includes number of minutes, text message limits and/or _________________.

2.      I know that I am required to contribute to the cost of my cell phone. My contribution is: $________ per month.

3.      I agree that my cell phone must be turned off at this time _________ each night. It is my responsibility to be sure the cell phone is being recharged each night.

4.      I agree that if I am unable to keep up with my responsibilities, the use of my cell phone can be taken away from me. This can happen even if I have contributed to the cost of the cell phone plan.

5.      I will not use my cell phone to take pictures of nudity, violence or other unallowed instances.

6.      I will not use my cell phone to call anyone for malicious purposes. (bullying, crank calling, etc.)

7.      I will not use my cell phone while driving.

8.      I will limit the number of people that have my cell phone number.

9.      I will limit the amount of time I am on the phone. These limitations are:

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

 

 

The consequences for not following through with these limits on my cell phone use are:

 ____________________________________________________________________________

 ____________________________________________________________________________

 ____________________________________________________________________________

 ____________________________________________________________________________

  

Teen Signature: __________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature: _____________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature: _____________________________________

 

The contract above was borrowed from: http://parentingteens.about.com/od/parentingcontracts/a/cell_phone.htm