Last year, 16 percent of all traffic fatalities were caused by distracted drivers. That means 5,474 people were killed (and an additional 448,000 injured) by people who disastrously attempted to drive while talking or texting on a cell phone, eating, fiddling with radios, watching videos, grooming or chatting with passengers.
The highest proportion of people killed were those under 20. Indeed, traffic accidents kill more American teens than any other single cause.
On Oct. 16, the Trauma Research Education Foundation and the Automobile Club of Southern California will host a Teen Driver Fair at Torrey Pines High School, from noon to 3 p.m. The free event will offer tips on basic car mechanics, safety (including the dangers of distracted driving) and finding the right vehicle. For more information, call (714) 885-2300.)
As chief of the division of trauma, surgical critical care and burns for UC San Diego Health System, Dr. Raul Coimbra sees the devastating impact of unsafe driving every day. Such trauma, he says, is not the result of an accident, but the consequence of everyday, preventable behaviors.
Q: What message do you have for teens new on the road?
A: I have a teenage daughter on the verge of driving, so I’ve thought about this a lot. Teens need to hear the truth about the risks involved with driving, but without criticism or condescension. We were all teens once, and the nature of adolescents is to take risks, try new things and to learn to be independent. Parents – and communities – need to provide safe opportunities for teens to push their limits through rock-climbing walls, skate parks, team sports or trips to theme parks. Parents need to make it very clear that driving is not for pushing the limits. Driving is a privilege, and a responsibility, that comes with expectations.
Q: What can parents do to help their children drive safely?
A: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes account for more than one in three deaths among U.S. teens. Research has shown that parents’ opinions are important to teens, which makes parents key to safety, especially when it comes to providing supervised driving practice, and for setting and enforcing limits on when and where their teen can drive. They should also use that influence to help teens realize that while everyone is vulnerable on the road, each driver needs to do all he or she can to prevent becoming a statistic. Parents and other adults also need to set a consistent example for teens by never driving impaired or distracted, and always wearing their seat belt.
Q: Car crashes while texting often involve more serious trauma. Why?
A: What’s different about car crashes involving a distracted driver is that these incidents can occur at higher speeds with maximum impact causing more severe injuries. A driver who is texting, using a GPS, eating, or talking to people in the back seat, may not see stopped traffic ahead, a red light or a road hazard, and he or she has less time to react.
And if drivers or passengers are not wearing a seat belt, the likelihood of head injuries, multiple injuries and more severe injuries increases. A secondary consequence of distracted driving, in addition to loss of life, is that distracted drivers and their families often have to live with knowing that their behavior may have contributed to someone else’s death and could have been prevented.
Q: Is multi-tasking while driving a health hazard?
A: Not focusing on the task at hand, whether it be driving, using power tools, or just looking where you’re walking, contributes to many types of serious and preventable injuries.