One in four American teens of driving age say they have texted while driving, and half of all teens ages 12 to 17 say they’ve been a passenger while a driver has texted.

1. For Immediate Release
For Immediate Release April 22, 2013
Contact: Damian Becker, Manager of Media Relations
(516) 377-5370
Curbing Dangerous Distracted Driving by Teens
South Nassau Communities Hospital Community Education, Pediatrics offer tips
to help parents guide teens to avoid the dangers of distracted driving
Oceanside, NY –Distracted driving -- whether texting, talking, playing loud music, or some other non-
driving activity -- is the number one killer of American teens, according to a host of studies, including those
from State Farm Insurance and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. South Nassau
Communities Hospital’s Chair of the Department of Pediatrics Dr. Clara E. Mayoral offers tips to parents to
help teens behind the wheel avoid accidents and injuries that can result.
Statistics from a Pew Research survey show just how pervasive the problem is: one in four American
teens of driving age say they have texted while driving, and half of all teens ages 12 to 17 say they’ve been a
passenger while a driver has texted; half of cell-owning teens ages 16-17 say they have talked on a phone while
driving and 40 percent say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put them in
danger.
“Teens seem to have a compelling need to stay connected, wherever they are and whatever they are doing.
Young drivers are especially vulnerable because they simply don’t have the driving experience and often the
focus to stay safe,” said Dr. Mayoral. “Driving while distracted is a very hazardous practice that not only can
result in injuries to drivers, but also passengers, other motorists, and pedestrians.” Dr. Mayoral offers the
following advice to parents:
 Ban talking and texting while the car is moving: Parents should be just as adamant on this as they are
about drinking and driving.
 Lower the volume and eliminate multi-tasking: Teens don’t realize that loud music and other
activities measurably lower their ability to concentrate and react.
 Pull over to text or talk: More and more drivers are getting the message that it’s simple and safe to
pull over to make that call or text.
 Set a passenger limit: The less activity in the vehicle the better – a simple way to ensure this is to
establish a limit of having only one or two passengers.
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2.  Buckle up for safety: Simple as it is, buckling up should be part of every safety discussion and should
be a habit from the very first time behind the wheel.
It goes without saying that parents should continue to counsel their children to avoid speeding, driving
recklessly, and of course, drinking/drugging and driving. Lastly, parents should set an example with their own
driving and should never text or talk with a handheld device.
Of course, handheld cell use and texting are illegal in New York and many other states, offering yet another
good reason to curb those activities. Records from the state Department of Motor Vehicles show that in 2010
New York issued almost 332,000 tickets for cell phone use while driving and 3,200 for texting while driving.
South Nassau Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 435 beds, more than 900
physicians and 3,000 employees. Located in Oceanside, NY, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit
teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain
management, mental health and emergency services. In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers,
South Nassau provides emergency and elective angioplasty and is the only hospital on Long Island with the
Novalis Tx™ and Gamma Knife® Perfexion radiosurgery technologies. South Nassau is a designated Stroke
Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the
American College of Surgeons and is recognized as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American
Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. For more information, visit www.southnassau.org.
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