A new study has revealed the bizarre behavior of teenagers when they are behind the wheel. First let’s get to the good news. According to the study, about 40 percent of responding teens confirmed that they have texted at some point while driving. That may seem like a really high number — and to be fair, it is. But that rate is also much lower than has been previously reported in other studies.
But now here’s the bad (or, more appropriately, weird) news: a tremendous number of responding teens said that they had, at one time or another, changed their clothes while driving or done homework while they were behind the wheel of a vehicle. In addition, some teens said that they changed their contacts and put on makeup while they were driving as well.
About 27 percent of responding teens confirmed that they changed clothes or changed their shoes while driving. Not only is this a truly bizarre driving behavior, it’s also a really dangerous one. Frankly, any behavior that doesn’t revolve around being focused on the road is going to be dangerous — but some behaviors, such as this one, are clearly more risky than others.
To all teens out there: please refrain from some of the known causes of distracted driving. You could get into an accident and cause people immense harm, including yourself. Even the lesser known causes that we have talked about today could cause a serious and life-changing motor vehicle accident. Just don’t do it. Be safe on the road for the sake of everyone who shares it with you.
Source: NPR, “Teens Say They Change Clothes And Do Homework While Driving,” Maanvi Singh, March 18, 2015