Girls more likely to use cellphones while driving

Teen female drivers are more likely to be distracted by cellphones, reaching for objects or eating and drinking, a new study from the AAA Foundation shows.

However, teen males are more likely to turn around in their seats while driving than females are.

“Cellphones, texting, personal grooming, and reaching for things in the car were among the most common distracting activities found,” said AAA Foundation President and CEO Peter Kissinger.

The study showed that overall, teens were distracted while driving about 15 percent of the time and that the leading cause of distraction was electronic devices, including cellphones.

On average, teen drivers using electronic devices took their eyes off the road for a full second longer than drivers not using such a device, the study reported.

“A second may not seem like much, but at 65 mph a car travels the length of a basketball court in a single second,” Kissinger said. “That extra second can mean the difference between managed risk and tragedy for any driver.”

The study analyzed video clips taken of 50 North Carolina families in with new teen drivers.

Tags: traffic, news