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AAA road safety campaign shows real videos of teenage car crashes while using smartphones

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDWmwxQ_NnY]

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has put online video clips from real car crashes caused by 16-19 year old drivers using smartphones while driving. The videos, which show both the view through the windscreen and a view of the driver, are designed to make real the dangers of distracted driving.

None of the crashes featured in the above clip feature injuries, but almost 3,000 people a year are killed in crashes involving drivers in this age-range, the majority of them caused by the driver being “inattentive or engaged in some other non-driving-related activity.” A further 383,000 people a year are injured.

Researchers at the University of Iowa examined carcam footage from 1,691 crashes involving drivers aged 16-19 to determine the cause. Distracted driving was found to be the cause in 58% of crashes, with 12% of them due to using a phone while driving. For crashes involving the car leaving the road, a full third of crashes were attributed to cellphone use.

UK tests conducted earlier this month suggested that smartwatches are even worse than smartphones for driver distraction.

The full AAA report can be downloaded here.

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Comments

  1. luckydcxx - 9 years ago

    Why do all of these people have an interior camera shot in their cars? Kind of weird, I don’t know anyone that has this

  2. zBrain (@joeregular) - 9 years ago

    the title is misleading. NOT all of the incidents were caused by smartphone use…

  3. Every time when my phone rings when I drive, I just (without taking my eyes off the road) push the sleep button on my iPhone in my pocket. In case I know it’s an important call, I stop when there’s a place to do so. In case I need to make a call, I stop when there’s a place to do so as well. It’s pretty simple people.

  4. xprmntr - 9 years ago

    You can see a lot of the equation to losing control in these situations is how the driver reacts when they realise they are veering. They react with sudden and panicked extreme maneuvers, instead of subtle and controlled ones.

  5. I noticed people look down, on theirs phone, so they don’t see the road at all.
    It would might make a big difference if they hold phones on top of the steering wheel, so they see the road most of the time and peripherals vision cover for the rest of the time.

    PS. I’m obviously not encouraging to use phone while driving this way or other at all.

  6. chrisl84 - 9 years ago

    We now need a video of very old people driving to compare who is worse.

    • Brian Batch - 9 years ago

      Studies show that most accidents involving very old people happen because their fingers get stuck on the rotary dial.

      • prolango - 9 years ago

        You made my day! Thank you!!! LOL

  7. Peter Park (@nekoNari) - 9 years ago

    Self driving cars can’t come too soon.

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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