Sep 21, 2010 By Herald Standard Staff 3 min read

Young drivers across the country were encouraged Friday to turn off their cell phones and other wireless devices before they get behind the wheel, as part of National Two-Second Turnoff Day, promoted by AAA, Seventeen Magazine and the U.S. Department of Transportation with events in New York and Washington, D.C. The groups urged young drivers to take two seconds to turn off their cell phone before driving instead of spending two seconds looking away from the road while driving distracted.

Teen drivers often understand that shooting a quick text message, playing with their radio or eating while driving is dangerous.

However, almost nine in 10 teenage drivers engage in distracted driving behaviors anyway, according to a recent survey by AAA and Seventeen

magazine.

“Taking your eyes off of the road for two seconds doubles your risk of a crash or near-crash and National Two-Second Turnoff Day is an opportunity for young drivers nationwide to take control of their own safety behind the wheel by making the wise and responsible decision not to drive while distracted,” said Kathleen Marvaso, AAA vice president of public affairs. “National Two-Second Turnoff Day is a reminder to drivers of all ages that they should keep their eyes and attention on the road while driving at all times.”

The teen distracted-driving survey is featured in the September issue of Seventeen

magazine. The survey results are based on a survey conducted in May of nearly 2,000 male and female teen drivers ages 16 through 19. Seventeen

magazine and AAA set out to discover what risky behaviors teen drivers were engaging in while behind the wheel – and how they justify this dangerous behavior.

Of those teen drivers surveyed, 60 percent have talked on a cell phone and 28 percent have sent a text message while driving.

Teen drivers who text while driving reported sending, on average, 23 text messages in the past month.

More than one-third of teen drivers (36 percent) believe they have been involved in a near-crash because of their own or someone else’s distracted driving.

“Today’s teens are heavily distracted by their cell phones and a car full of friends while they are driving,” said Seventeen

magazine Editor-in-Chief Ann Shoket. “We hope that on this Two Second Turnoff Day we are showing them how easy it is to put down the phone and keep their focus on the road so everyone gets where they are going safely.”

Texting while driving is among the riskiest of common driving distractions. Teen drivers are still developing safe driving skills and should limit unnecessary risks, according to AAA. Nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving a distracted or inattentive driver and more than a half million were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In Pennsylvania, AAA East Central supports House Bill 67, which would limit distractions for teen drivers by requiring a ban on texting and cell phone use and by limiting passengers to one non-family member for the first six months of driving as a junior licensed driver.

“Limiting distractions for this age group makes good sense, especially considering that our surveys indicate widespread cell phone use and text messaging activity,” said Brian Newbacher, director of public affairs for AAA East Central.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit organization with 80 local offices in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and New York, servicing 2.6 million members.