Peer Pressure Facts
A blog dedicated to exposing, educating and empowering people regarding peer pressure facts.

Texting While Driving

Distracted driving destroys lives. Distracted driving comes in many forms such as talking or texting on a cell phone, eating or drinking, grooming, reading, changing radio stations, using navigation systems, watching videos, and/or talking to passengers any or all of which can lead to unnecessary and preventable motor vehicle crashes and loss of life.

However, texting and driving is one of the most dangerous of all distracted driving activities because it takes your hands off the wheel and eyes and mind off the road. As such, it is important to spread the word and educate people about the risks, dangers, and consequences (often deadly and/or disabling) of driving while distracted and more specifically driving while texting.

Some people are of the opinion that talking or texting on a cell phone while driving is willful conduct (as opposed to accidental) for the simple fact that that such activities are consciously chosen by those who may ultimately end up killing themselves and/or someone else. Sadly, many of texting and driving conversations that lead to motor vehicle collisions involve trivial conversations.

According to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood,

Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on America’s roads, and teens are especially vulnerable because of their inexperience behind the wheel and, often, peer pressure. Behind the statistics are real families who have been devastated by these tragedies. The U.S. Department of Transportation is working to spread awareness of this serious problem and help communities establish appropriate legislation and enforcement efforts.

The Official US Government Website for Distracted Driving highlights three lives lost, as follows:

  1. Sarah Edwards, age 18, North Carolina – Sarah was reading a text message when her car crossed the center line of a two-lane road and ran into the rear wheels of a loaded logging truck, which caused her to die instantly.
  2. Angelina Bandino, age 15, California – Angelina was walking along a road near her home when she was struck and killed by an 18-year-old driver in a pickup truck who was typing a text message.
  3. Caleb Sorohan, age 18, Georgia – Caleb had been texting with his friend while driving before his car veered into the opposite lane and collided head-on with a truck.

Distracted Driving Statistics | Texting and Driving Statistics

The U.S. Department of Transportation, in an effort to better educate and inform the public, offers a website solely dedicated to the topic of distracted driving, the consequences thereof, and the steps we as individuals, parents, students, educators, and community leaders can take to prevent devastating loss of life and limb. This website offers the following general statistics regarding driving distractions as well as specific statistics regarding texting and driving, as follow:

Distracted Driving Statistics

  • In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction, and an estimated 448,000 were injured. (NHTSA)
  • 16% of fatal crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. (NHTSA)
  • 20% of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. (NHTSA)
  • 40% of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that puts people in danger. (Pew)
  • Drivers who use hand-held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (Monash University)
  • Headset cell phone use is not substantially safer than hand-held use. (VTTI)
  • Using a cell phone while driving – whether it’s hand-held or hands-free delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (University of Utah)
  • Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. (Carnegie Mellon)
  • Teen drivers are more likely than other age groups to be involved in a fatal crash where distraction is reported. In 2009, 16% of teen drivers involved in a fatal crash were reported to have been distracted. (NHTSA)

Texting and Driving Statistics

  • In the month of June 2011, more than 196 billion text messages were sent or received in the US, up nearly 50% from June 2009. (CTIA) (I personally predict that this number will only continue to increase due to the popularity of electronic devices.)
  • Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death of teens. When it comes to distracted driving, young people are most likely to text and talk behind the wheel. (NHTSA)
  • Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted. (VTTI)
  • Writing or reading a text message takes your eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph, that is similar to driving the length of a football field while blindfolded. (VITI).
  • If you text while you are behind the wheel, you are 20 times more likely to be involved in a crash than a non-distracted driver. (NHTSA)
  • Nearly 500,000 young adults each year are injured due to various forms of distracted driving, including texting, mobile instant messaging, updating social media platforms, sending photos, etc. It is a habit deadlier than drunk driving. (Ad Council)

These are not just merely statistics. The lives lost due to distracting driving, including texting and driving, are similar to the people you know who are a part of your every day life, including, but not limited to, children, parents, neighbors, and friends. You can watch real agonizing commentary from those who have been affected by the loss of life due to distracted driving here.

Prevent Distracted Driving | Prevent Texting While Driving

Important steps you can take to prevent distracted driving, which includes texting while driving, is to educate yourselves and spread the word.

Consumer Reports President, Jim Guest, states,

We know that educating people about the risk of distracted driving works. In a recent Consumer Reports survey, we found that two-thirds of the respondents who reduced or stopped such behaviors said they did so because of reading or hearing about the dangers. We will continue to fight for effective ways of combating this problem. But every voice counts. For the good of all our kids, help us spread the word.

Other ways to prevent texting and driving or distracted driving are to set a good example by putting away your cell phone while driving, preferrably out of reach so you are not tempted to use it while driving. Out of sight means out of mind. This applies to both parents and teens since children, adolescents, and teens learn from their parents and/or are heavily influenced by peer pressure to engage in such activities as texting and driving. Another tip is to turn your cell phone to silent. Parents, educators, and community leaders should talk to teens about the risks and responsibilities of driving as well as the dangers of driving while distracted. It is important to encourage teens to hold each other accountable in not engaging in distracted driving behaviors including texting or talking on the phone while driving. This means being a good passenger by speaking up if the driver in your car becomes distracted. Establish ground rules and have your teen sign a pledge.

On a broader scale, get involved in community efforts such as making a presentation to educate others about the dangers of distracted driving specifically texting while driving. Teens, parents, educators, employers, and community groups can all make an impact in spreading the word that distracted driving kills and safe driving starts with you. Ask for your school, community group, and/or employer’s permission to hang posters and/or pass out flyers warning against the dangers of distracted driving. These materials can be found here.

Know the laws of your state in regard to distracted driving and get involved in promoting and/or pursuing legislation to make laws tougher.

Texting While Driving Video – PSA

Credits and Resources:

http://www.distraction.gov

http://www.consumerreports.org/distracted

http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html

http://www.stoptextsstopwrecks.org

Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by admin - March 11, 2012 at 7:18 pm

Categories: Driving   Tags: , , , ,

Teenage Pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is defined as being younger than 20 years old when pregnancy ends. In 2009, 409,840 infants were born to young girls who were between 15 and 19 years old many of which were unintended. Two-thirds of all teen pregnancies occur among 18 and 19-year-olds.  Eighty-two percent of teen pregnancies are unplanned; they account for about one-fifth of all unintended pregnancies annually. Ten percent of all U.S. births are to girls aged 19 or younger.

Each year, almost 750,000 U.S. women between 15 and 19 years old become pregnant, which doesn’t always end up in birth.  In 2006, 59% of pregnancies among 15 to 19-year-olds ended in birth and 27% in abortion. Although teen pregnancy has been on the decline in the past 20 years (since tracking began 70 years ago), the U.S. rate is still as much as nine times higher than in similar countries.

More alarming is that it has been reported that 46% of teens have had sexual intercourse and out of that number 14% of girls and 10% of boys say that they do not use any kind of birth control. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that childbirth among teens is highest among Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks. Black and Hispanic teen girls are two to three times more likely to give birth than white teens. Also, one-third of adolescents have not received instruction on birth control methods before age 18. CDC director Thomas Frieden states “Preventing teen pregnancy can protect the health and quality of life of teenagers, their children, and their families throughout the United States.”

So, what are some things parents, educators, and community leaders can do to prevent unintended teenage pregnancy?

How parents handle conversations with their children about teen pregnancy is a matter of preference, religion, and parenting style. Educators should continue to focus on increasing the percentage of youth who abstain from or delay sexual activity. According to National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, six in ten teens who have had sex wish they would have waited. Education to increase the consistent and correct use of condoms and other effective methods of contraception among sexually active youth should also be a priority. Teenagers should have access to affordable and accessible community health care facilities and clinics to further discuss teen pregnancy prevention and receive information and testing for sexually transmitted diseases and/or pregnancy with trusted healthcare professionals.

If you are a teenager or parent or educator you can receive further information on teenage pregnancy by clicking the links in the resources and/or credit sections listed below:

Resources:

Healthy Teen Network

The National Campaign To Prevent Teen And Unplanned Pregnancy

Advocates For Youth

Credits:

http://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/teenbrth.htm

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/05/us-teen-pregnancy-idUSTRE7347IB20110405

http://news.injuryboard.com/cdc-study-teen-pregnancy-stds-on-the-rise.aspx?googleid=267404

http://www.cdc.gov/TeenPregnancy/PreventTeenPreg.htm

http://www.kff.org/youthhivstds/upload/U-S-Teen-Sexual-Activity-Fact-Sheet.pdf

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-ATSRH.html

2 comments - What do you think?
Posted by admin - July 29, 2011 at 11:09 pm

Categories: Pregnancy   Tags: , , ,

Teenage Smoking

Teenage smoking and peer pressure go hand in hand. Each day over 3,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 smoke their first cigarette. 850 of those become daily cigarette smokers. Over 17% of high school students smoke.

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. More than 440,000 Americans die from tobacco-related causes each year, most of whom began using tobacco before the age of 18. More than 80% of adult smokers began smoking before 18 years of age. Tobacco use during adolescence is associated with high risk sexual behaviors, use of alcohol, and use of other drugs as well as long-term health issues that can cause death.

Factors that contribute to teenage smoking include peer influence, advertising, and movies. In regard to peer pressure, smoking due to peer influence includes trying to be part of the in-crowd, trying to look grown up or “cool,” not being able to resist or say no when someone offers a cigarette, etc.

In regard to advertising, cigarette advertising has been greatly reduced in response to anti-smoking campaigns, lobbying, and lawsuits. As a result, teenage cigarette smoking declined between 1997 and 2003. However, recently, cigarette smoking rates have remained stable in recent years. Therefore it is important to educate teenagers about tobacco facts, facts about smoking cigarettes, and why smoking is bad for you.

In regard to movies, nearly half of the top-grossing films from 2009 contained depictions of tobacco use (following an unsteady decline from the early 1990s). These figures come two years after the National Cancer Institute warned that kids greatly exposed to onscreen smoking are two to three times more likely to start smoking than youths with lighter exposure. This recent increase in showing cigarette smoking in films is unclear despite previous efforts to reduce such imagery.

Nicotine is the drug in tobacco products that produces dependence in most smokers. Nicotine dependence is the most common form of chemical dependence in the United States. Research suggests that nicotine is as addictive as heroin, cocaine, or alcohol.

Quitting smoking is difficult and may require multiple attempts. Cigarettes not only cause nicotine dependence but contains more than 7000 chemicals, hundreds of which are toxic and about seventy of which are carcinogenic (i.e. cause cancer). People who stop smoking greatly reduce their risk for disease and premature death. Not only that, the effect of secondary cigarette smoke exposes friends, families, and the public, in general, to these same chemicals.

In order to prevent teenage smoking, it is crucial to educate young people regarding the negative short-term and long-term health consequences of cigarette smoking, the addictive nature of cigarette smoking, and the importance to never start if possible. It is important for parents to discuss peer pressure, advertising, and movie exposure in regard to cigarette smoking and to discuss precisely why these influences can be so strong. If you are a parent who smokes, the best thing you can do is quit yourself.

Resources:

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/youth_data/tobacco_use/index.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/cessation/quitting/index.htm

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/19/smoking-in-movies-still-a-hazard-cdc-says/

19 comments - What do you think?
Posted by admin - July 28, 2011 at 3:39 pm

Categories: Smoking   Tags: , , ,

Next Page »