Vehicle crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for teenagers. Tragically, in half of the fatal crashes, the teens were not wearing seatbelts.
A survey conducted by Safe Kids Worldwide and funded by the General Motors Foundation explores the driving and buckling habits of teenagers. One in four surveyed teens said they don't buckle up on every ride.
Their top reasons for not buckling up: They forgot or it wasn't a habit (34 percent); they weren't going far (16 percent); or the seatbelt was not comfortable (11 percent). Asked why other teens don't buckle up, one in three teens (33 percent) said going to a party was a reason.
The survey also addressed the perilous practice of distracted driving. Thirty-nine percent of teens said they have ridden with a teen driver who was texting, and 95 percent said they think other teens have ridden with drivers who were texting.
Teens who don’t always use seatbelts were more likely to report that they text while driving than those who said they wear a seatbelt every time. About 43 percent of teens reported riding as a passenger with a teen driver who was talking on a phone.
These behaviors reflect the habits of their parents. More than half of teens said they have seen a parent talking on the phone while driving, and 28 percent have been riding in a car with a parent who was texting.
