Driven to Distraction: Teens Behind the Wheel

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November 1st, 2010

Cell phones, music, partying passengers. With so much competing for teens’ attention, it can be hard for them to stay focused behind the wheel.

In surveys by the Allstate Foundation, 87 percent of teens say texting while driving is a huge risk. Another 65 percent describe themselves as good drivers who pay attention. Yet two-thirds of those same teens say they’ve texted behind the wheel themselves—and far more say they’ve made or answered a call. The top reason for taking such dangerous risks? Not thinking about consequences at that moment.