STANISLAUS YOUNG PEOPLE OBSERVE EXCESSIVE LEVELS OF
DISTRACTED DRIVERS NEAR SCHOOL ZONES
STANISLAUS COUNTY (Thursday, Oct. 3rd, 2024) – Students with Denair High School Friday Night Live (FNL) engaged in a statewide youth-led data collection effort to identify occurrences of distracted driving near their schools on Thursday morning. Youth observed more than 150 drivers and reported more than 137 incidents of distracted driving in the intersection of Lester Rd. and Monte Vista Ave. Distracted driving is a crucial concern for Californians and was reported as the biggest traffic safety concern in a statewide 2021 Public Opinion Poll.1 Distracted driving includes anything that takes your eyes, hands, or mind away from the task of driving. For youth in California, this issue is especially pertinent. Among drivers ages 15-20 involved in fatal crashes, 6% were distracted at the time of the crash. 2 Distracted driving not only affects those behind the wheel, but also those who share our roadways. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) found that in 2022, over 18% of people killed by distracted drivers were not in vehicles; they were pedestrians, pedalcyclists, or otherwise outside vehicles.
Students with FNL participated in Roadwatch, an action research and data collection project administered by the California Friday Night Live Partnership (CFNLP). They observed a lack of driving focus ranging from using handheld devices such as cellphones to eating and drinking to personal grooming activities. There were even 2 incidents of drivers holding pets on their laps while behind the wheel.
FNL is a statewide program that builds partnerships for positive and healthy youth development and engages youth as active leaders and resources in their communities. Driven by a desire to improve traffic safety in their neighborhoods, students compiled these startling statistics from Hundreds of vehicle observations. Students found that the top distractions were not surprising but could easily be avoided through increased education and awareness.
Top Distractions Reported
- Talking to passengers: 18 incidents
- Use of a handheld device (such as a cellphone):34 incidents
- Eating or drinking: 11 incidents
The CFNLP organizes Roadwatch as an annual opportunity to drive home the importance of eliminating distractions while driving among adult and teen drivers.
Not Just Cellphones
Additional driving distractions observed by today’s Roadwatch participants:
- Personal grooming: 9 incidents
- Reaching for an item: 6 incidents
- Loud music: 9 incidents
- Smoking or vaping: 3 incidents
In 2022, “8% of fatal crashes, 12% of injury crashes, and 11% of all police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2022 were the result of distraction-affected traffic crashes” (NHTSA). Denair High School members were part of a collaborative effort to observe and survey distracted driving behaviors near California schools and neighborhoods. Young people know that their research can help to create the positive changes their communities need to stay safe.
Denair High School FNL member Macie Stucker states “I was shocked to see so many distracted drivers and hope to expand the area for another assessments towards the end of the year.”
The California Friday Night Live Partnership (CFNLP) provides leadership and field support for the continued growth and enhancement of Friday Night Live (FNL), Club Live (CL), Friday Night Live Kids (FNLK), and Friday Night Live Mentoring (FNLM) programs in 53 counties statewide. For more information about Friday Night Live, visit www.fridaynightlive.org.
[1] California Office of Traffic Safety. (2022). Distracted Driving https://www.ots.ca.gov/grants/distracted-driving/
