Teenagers today love their phones.

Whether they are texting their friends, checking the latest updates on their Facebook page or taking a “selfie” picture of themselves, today’s youth are rarely found without a smartphone in their hands.

While this persistent connectedness can prove to be a minor annoyance to parents trying to have a conversation with their teens furiously tapping their phone’s touchscreen at the dinner table, it can lead to serious — and deadly — consequences when these youth get behind the wheel of an automobile.

The results of a recent distracted driving study conducted by State Farm insurance in coordination with of National Teen Driver Safety Week highlighted this problem. The survey showed that while 90 percent of all teenage drivers recognize that texting while driving is distracting, 44 percent admit to doing so.

Perhaps even more troubling were some of the other ways the study showed that teens were distracted, which included:

• Talking with a passenger (94 percent)

• Listening to navigation system/GPS (79 percent)

• Searching for music (73 percent)

• Accessing the internet on their phone (36 percent)

• Reading social media (29 percent)

• Taking pictures with their phones (27 percent)

Looking at the list, all but the first one involves the use of a smartphone or other device inside the vehicle. The last three, in particular, can only performed using smartphones, tablets or other digital devices that cannot be safely operated while driving.

Let’s face it — there’s no reason for anyone to be checking the score of the Cub’s game or seeing what new pictures have been uploaded to Instagram while they are driving. It’s the same as with text messaging — there is no reason why these tasks can’t be held off until after the driver is off the road.

While these devices serve as distractions for older drivers as well, for teenagers who are just beginning to understand how to operate a motor vehicle, the distraction is especially problematic. Teen drivers need to devote as much attention as possible to the road, yet seem to be the ones who are most tempted to take their eyes away from their windshields and onto the small screens resting in their hands.

For that reason, we encourage parents of teen drivers to remind their children to leave their phones alone while driving, and to set good examples by doing the same while they are behind the wheel. We also hope that driver education courses continue to stress the importance of attentiveness behind the wheel.

Our ever-present connectedness these days has made us more social and creative than ever. Let’s not waste that by hurting ourselves or others on our roadways.

And hey, it never hurts to unplug for a few minutes.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.