3 Reasons Your Teen is Not Immune to the Texting and Driving Epidemic

Texting and driving has reached epidemic proportions. New headlines crop up every day about a teen whose life was lost or changed forever due to a few seconds of handheld activity on a cell phone while driving. A common thread in these tragic stories is the recurring quote uttered by the parents of the teen involved: “I never thought it could happen to my child.”

The truth is, it can happen to anyone. The fact that teens text while driving 26 times more than their parents think they do, makes it likely that your teen is doing it, too.

Until you do something real to prevent it, teens WILL text and drive, and here’s why:

1. Teens are addicted to texting, it's that simple. Teens text all the time: One in three teens sends more than 100 text messages a day, or 3000 texts a month. According to a study: “Texting is instantly gratifying and highly anxiety producing. Instant connection can create elation and self-value only to be replaced by the devastation of no response, a late response, the misinterpretation of a punctuation mark, a sexually harassing text, a text sent to the wrong person or a text that is later regretted."

"Neuro-imaging has shown that back and forth texting floods the pleasure centers of the brain, the same area that lights up when using heroin. The emotional disruption of a real or perceived negative response, however, necessitates more texting to repair the mood, to fix the feelings of rejection, blame and disconnection. The addictive potential is obvious.” (Suzanne Phillips, PsyD, PBS)

Texting can become, and is for many teens, a full-blown addiction. Dismissing this addiction as being "just part of being a teen these days" or "totally harmless" is a devastating mistake. One of the hallmarks of any addiction is the addict’s willingness to ignore logic and common sense, taking risks in order to continue to do the behavior they are addicted to. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that a teen who walks around texting all day isn’t also texting when they are behind the wheel.

 2. Teens feel rude if they don't respond right away. Teens expect one another to spend every waking hour with their cell phones, and then some. Recent studies show that 4 out of 5 teens sleep with their phones on or near their bed, in order to be available for contact while they sleep. Teens in focus groups admit they sleep with the phone nearby in case someone contacts them. This behavior is the social norm in a society that expects instant response and instant gratification. “People will wake me up in the middle of the night and I have to wake up and talk or they will think I’m mad at them or something.”  (Suzanne Phillips, PsyD, PBS)

3. The numbers don't lie. A recent nationwide survey commissioned by Bridgestone Americas Inc. showed that 95% of teens surveyed admitted to texting while driving. According to the National Safety Council, the use of cell phones while driving contributes to 1.6 million crashes per year. 6,000 people are killed every year in the United States due to texting and driving. These are just a few of the myriad statistics emerging each year as the problem grows.

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ORIGOSafe™ is a simple, easy solution that removes the serious risks of handheld phone use while driving once and for all. Dock your phone, start your car, start driving SAFE. Order yours today and break the habit overnight. Order one for your teen and know that they are focused on the road when they aren't at home. 

You hold the wheel, we'll hold the phone. Drive ORIGOSafe™