Bellbrook resident Collin Wehner has had his driver’s license for about a year and said that he finds himself driving more during the summer months. He said he has improved as a driver as he’s gotten more experience.
“I was a little nervous to start but just driving more and more eases the nerves,” Wehner said.
Teen traffic crashes in Ohio caused 33 fatalities during 2021′s “100 Deadliest Days” period, Brown said, referring to the summer period bracketed by the two holiday weekends. AAA said there have been more fatal crashes involving teens in the summer than the rest of the year.
Accidents like these often occur due to distracted driving, which can be anything that makes it more difficult for the driver to focus on the road.
“People tend to have crashes more when there’s other people in the car,” Brown said. “We talk about distracted driving, and everybody goes right away to the cell phones. But actually, passengers are more dangerous than cell phones, because passengers distract just as easily.”
Brown said cell phones are still a major concern, though, especially for teenagers.
“The phone is a major distraction,” he said. “We have gotten such a knack to be checking our phones immediately because we want to know what’s going on. They tend to have to respond to whoever is talking to them or texting them or whatever.”
Last year was the deadliest year on Ohio roadways in nearly two decades, even with traffic levels still below pre-pandemic levels. The total number of Ohio traffic deaths increased from 1,230 in 2020 to 1,360 in 2021, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol data. That’s the most fatalities the state has seen since 2002, when 1,417 people died in crashes statewide.
When a teenager is involved in an accident or traffic stop, a few common causes are often to blame, said Ohio State Highway Patrol Information Officer Brice Nihiser.
“When we respond to crashes that involve new drivers, the crash is usually attributed to driver inexperience, they were going too fast or they were following too closely,” Nihiser said. “Or in the case of distracted driving, they were on their phone, or they were doing something else that wasn’t driving. We are always going to reiterate, focus on driving, because that’s what’s going to get you to your destination safely.”
Nihiser’s advice to new drivers to help them stay safe was simple:
“Before you even start the car, buckle your seatbelt, put that phone somewhere where you’re not going to be distracted by it,” Nihiser said. “If you have a passenger, let them control music so that you as the driver can focus on driving.”
Sgt. Gordon Cairns, supervisor of the Dayton Police Traffic Services Unit, said two of the biggest issues area driving schools see in teen drivers are learning to brake in time and taking corners too fast.
As a driving instructor, Brown has made it a priority to show kids just how dangerous distracted driving can be. He’s implemented exercises that demonstrate how quickly things can change in just a few seconds.
“They found that for somebody to get a text and to look at the text takes about four seconds,” he said. “And at 55 miles per hour, you look away for four seconds, you’re traveling at least a football field. I have them close their eyes for four seconds and let them see how long they’re looking away from the road.”
It’s up to both new drivers and their parents to be responsible and stop distracted driving at the source, Brown said.
“We want parents to have conversations with their kids, not just during the 100 days but all through the year, about distracted driving, about passengers in the car, about abusing speed limits, about driving after dark,” Brown said. “About 90% of all crashes are driver error. That’s definitely true for new teen drivers, because they’re still getting used to driving.”
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, from 2017-2021 in Ohio, there were 64,108 crashes that involved distracted driving.
State Rep. Brian Lampton (R-Beavercreek) is co-sponsoring House Bill 283, which would crack down on distracted driving by making it illegal to hold a cell phone or other wireless device while driving, barring a few exceptions. The bill’s aim is to make the roads safer for all Ohioans, including teenagers.
“Safety is of the utmost importance on our roadways,” Lampton’s office told the Dayton Daily News. “Our phones are addicting by design, and it’s important to teach our young drivers that the road demands your attention when you’re behind the wheel.”
AAA driving safety tips
- Slow down – Speeding is the No. 1 factor for the increase in roadway fatalities.
- Buckle up – The rate of ejections and unrestrained occupant deaths has risen sharply.
- Don’t drive impaired – Alcohol is involved in about 20% of all fatal summer crashes.
- Drive defensively – You can’t control others; you can increase the time you have to react.
- Limit distractions – Distracted driving, likely underreported, accounts for at least 8% of fatal crashes.
- Watch for pedestrians and cyclists – Pedestrian deaths rose 15% from 2020 to 2021.
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