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Cell Phones and Teenagers - Why the Two Don't Mix While Driving

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=S._Bradshaw]S. Bradshaw

Most American teenagers are learning how to drive when they are 15 years old and will drive on their own by the time they are 16 years old. With so many novice drivers on the road, teenagers are more likely to be in a deadly accident than any other age group. Teenagers today have to not only learn how to drive and deal with certain distractions such as their passengers, radios and other vehicles on the road but they must also contend with cell phones in their cars. According to statistics, this additional distraction has raised the number of car accident related teenage deaths

Teenagers have plenty of distractions to deal with and talking on their refurbished cellular phones puts everyone on the road and themselves in danger. Cell phones generally require a person to hold the wheel with one hand while their other hand is on the phone. One hand on the steering wheel leaves little ability to control the car and the direction in which it is traveling. Teenagers have little to no experience behind the wheel; thus, both their hands should be on the wheel... the entire time.

The majority of vehicles driven on the road today by our teenage kids do not come equipped with built-in phone holders. When a cell phone rings, the teenage driver must take his/her hand off the steering wheel to answer it; they may even take their eyes off the road so they can see who it is calling them. Regardless of the vehicle speed, if you take your eyes off the road for a split second to check, you could lose control, creating an accident and possibly injuring or killing someone.

There are tons of stores that sell the Bluetooth device; this allows a person to use the phone without ever having to touch it. Yes, it solves the issue of hands being off the steering wheel but it still doesn't prevent another issue. What issue? When drivers are talking on the phone, they are not fully concentrating on the road. If the conversation drags on, the driver becomes even more distracted, perhaps forgetting that he/she is driving in the first place. The driver may see the road and may even have both his/her hands on the vehicle wheel but if their mind focusing on that conversation, it means they won't respond quickly to road conditions. This can lead to a minor or major accident, where loss of life could occur.

Teenagers have a hard enough time being the "new driver on the road". After all, there is so much they must learn about paying attention to the road. The very last thing they actually need is a distraction like a phone call to pull their attention away from the road. There was a time that the biggest distraction we had was the radio and jabbering with friends about who did what and where. However, cell phones are a new kind of distraction that can really hurt the young drivers. It's the single biggest reason no one should use a cell phone while in their cars; it's also the single biggest reason why the majority of states are passing laws to ban cell phone talking and driving.

Scott Bradshaw writes articles that focus on cell phones, cellular apps, and mobile services. He encourages people to save money with [http://www.cellulartrendz.com]used cell phones and avoid signing contract extensions by purchasing [http://www.cellulartrendz.com/m-4-blackberry.aspx]used Blackberry phones.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Cell-Phones-and-Teenagers---Why-the-Two-Dont-Mix-While-Driving&id=3911711] Cell Phones and Teenagers - Why the Two Don't Mix While Driving