7 Ways to Stop Your Teens from Texting and Driving

Posted on 11. Jan, 2011 by in blog, teen driving, texting accident, texting while driving

Are you the parent of a teenager? Do you have difficulty keeping them from texting while driving? With such a big deal being made about texting and driving (rightfully so), do you ever wonder if they text and drive?

The preferred method of communication for teens is texting, texting and more texting. As a parent, it is up to you to come up with solutions to discourage your teen from texting while driving. Helping to prevent them from texting and driving could save their life, or another.

In an effort to help you, Atlanta personal injury attorneys Mark Link and Houston Smith provide you with the following ideas:

7 Ways to Stop Your Teen from Texting and Driving.

You might not be able to stop them from sending the thousands of text messages they may send each and every month, but here are a few ways you could encourage them to stop texting while they are behind the wheel. As concerned citizens and personal injury attorneys, we have come up with 7 strategies you can use to talk about the dangers of texting while driving with your teens.

An informed teen will at least have all the information they need to make the right decision. While teenagers do not always make the best decisions, giving your teen the cold hard facts about texting and driving dangers could save their life.

1. TEXTING WHILE DRIVING IS DANGEROUS

If you didn’t know it yet, texting while driving is dangerous. With over 16,000 text related deaths in 6 years, texting is among the the top reasons for crashes, and teen deaths. Your teen’s life is in danger every time they text while driving.

2. TEXTING IS AFFECTING WRITTEN AND ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Some educators are concerned with the changes that are happening due to the new texting language.  When a teenager needs to say “you are” and it becomes “U R”, the qualities of the language disappear, as well as the teens’ possibilities of entering into college or the work force. This may not seem like a big deal on the surface, but sending thousands of “shorthand” messages each and every month could ingrain bad habits in your teenager’s grammar.

3. TEXTING RELATED INJURIES

Not only can texting while driving result in serious, life threatening injuries, but simply the act of texting can cause problems in the hands and fingers. In fact, more and more young adults and teenagers are now complaining about hand injuries, and there is likely a correlation between the two.

If you want to keep your teen from texting while driving, try to inform them about the potential harm they could do to their hands and fingers. It could inhibit their ability to play sports, or participate in other extracurricular activities.

4. OFFER THEM REWARDS

Reward them for NOT texting while they are driving. A way to monitor their behavior is monitoring your cell phone bill, and checking the texting activity for their cell phones during the hours they are driving to and from school or with friends. It may seem like an unconventional solution, but it works.

5. THUMB BANDS

Sheriff Kevin Pals from Mason City, IA, has come up with an innovative and “cool” way of getting teenagers involved with preventing texting and driving accidents: thumb bands. Messages like “Live Strong”, or “Kiss Me I’m Irish” are making room for texting awareness thumb bands.

With messages like “Texting Kills,” thumb bands are becoming a popular item. Why not order a few for your teen, and his/her friends? Also, make sure to encourage your teen to talk about the dangers of texting and driving with their friends. In this case, peer pressure can be used to raise the awareness of texting and driving dangers.

6. VOICE TO TEXT TECHNOLOGY

Technology can create unintended consequences, such as texting accidents. However, additional technology can also offer some solutions. The people at Vlingo have found a way to turn spoken words into text. This technology is changing traditional texting, because you no longer have to use your fingers to physically type a text message.

This technology does not remove the dangers of distracted driving, but it does make it easier to keep your teen’s eyes on the road. In a recent study it was found that 67% of the drivers interviewed would feel safer if they could text without taking their eyes off the road.

7. USE RESTRICTIVE TECHNOLOGIES

Another approach is to use third-party technologies to restrict the timing and use of your teens phone. Here are 3 technologies you can consider using:

    1. Text Blocker – allows you to set up restrictive zones that block texting communications.
    2. Zoom Safer – designed for fleet operator and business use primarily, this technology can also help you restrict your teens cell phone use.
    3. Web Safety – is a third technology offering controlled use of your teens texting and cell phone use.

It is important to explain to your teen that these technologies are meant to assist and remind them, not restrict them. It may be beneficial to implement and use these technologies on your own phone to familiarize yourself with their use and set a good example for your teen.

5 Reasons Texting While Driving is Worse than Talking While Driving

Posted on 22. Nov, 2010 by in blog, talking on the cellphone while driving, teen driving, texting while driving

16,000 teenage deaths due to texting while driving in less than 7 years?


Scary and sobering statistics.

Unfortunately, statistics alone do not prevent accidents. Only stopping risky behavior can help prevent accidents. On average, a teenager sends over 3000 text messages per month according to CNN.com. 3,000 text messages per month? That means about 100 text messages per day (equating to over 10 texts per waking hour).

If you think about it, it’s not that much, right? But if teens are spending 2 of those hours driving to and from school, and they are texting while driving, that’s 20 texts too many! It is too easy for teens to get into a texting while driving accidents.

Texting while driving, impairs driving 37%

With a 37% reduced attention span due to texting, a teenager’s beginning driving skills are severely impaired. A teenager (with only a few months of driving under their belt, without the experience of heavy traffic, or driving in diverse conditions, and a limited attention span) will find themselves in a texting accident quite easily.

The laws are strict, but sometimes the message doesn’t really get heard until it is too late. Parents and teenagers alike are much more receptive to the no texting while driving laws, after the accident has already happened, but this blog is hoping to change that. Parents become advocates of no texting while driving only AFTER their child has been through the accident and (hopefully) survived.

Focus on texting prevention

The focus should be on BEFORE the accident, and on  PREVENTION. Sometimes it is too late to enforce the rule (actually it is a law in 15 states, including Georgia) of no texting while driving.

Prevention is always better than treatment. It is not easy! But being proactive about the situation can help ensure that teens are not put in jeopardy by the hazardous behavior of texting while driving. A paralyzed teen is a good example for others; not a good example for him or herself.

5 reasons texting while driving is worse than talking on the cellphone while driving;

  1. Texting takes 23 times more attention than talking away from your attentions span, so you are 23 times more likely to crash or come close to a crash if you are texting than if you are talking on the phone while driving.
  2. Texting is the most distracting of all the cellphone related activities, necessitating the longest time to send or receive a text.
  3. Texting is damaging to teens’ physical and mental health, on and off the road, with symptoms varying from neuroskeletal disorders (pain in the thumbs) to anxiety and sleep disorders (from the constant interruptions).
  4. 91% of Americans now own a cellphone, and we’re sending a combined 110 Million texts per month (as of 2008), increasing our chances of being in a crash due to the use of the cellphone (increase by 28% from 2005 to 2008).
  5. The fifth and most important reason texting is worse than talking while driving is that serious injury and even death can result from it. The driver is distracted for longer while texting than while talking, with the percentage of crashing or coming close to a crash heavily increased. Can you imagine living the rest of your life knowing that because you were texting while driving a life was lost? You can go to jail for a very long time knowing you have taken a life.

Which is worse, talking or texting while driving?

The answer is: Neither! You are potentially missing out on a long, prosperous life each time you pick up the phone to text while driving. Try putting the phone down; it could save a life: yours!

No text is worth more than a life. If you or a loved one has been a victim of a texting while driving accident contact a GA injury lawyer. You may also want to visit Atlanta injury lawyers Mark Link and Houston Smith in order to discuss your particular case.

If you have any questions about text while driving contact Link & Smith, P.C. 24 hours a day at

1-888-315-8840

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