Distracted Driving

Summary

Podcast Summary: Ask the Mediatrician – “Distracted Driving”

Date: October 15, 2019
Host: Dr. Michael Rich ("The Mediatrician")
Co-Host: Kristelle Lavallee

Episode Overview

This episode tackles the acute problem of distracted driving among teens, specifically focusing on texting (and similar phone use) as a modern danger on the road. Responding to a question from Logan, a concerned father, Dr. Michael Rich and Kristelle Lavallee discuss the real risks of distracted driving, why teens are especially susceptible, and how parents can engage with their children to promote safer behaviors.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Modern Epidemic of Distracted Driving

• Texting while driving is as hazardous as drunk driving.
  • “Distracted driving with a phone is as dangerous as drunk driving. It's a serious health risk...” – Dr. Rich [02:57]
• It is a widespread issue. A high percentage of drivers, especially young ones, admit to texting while driving.
  • “69% of 18 to 64 year olds say they have texted while driving in the last month.” – Dr. Rich [03:11]
  • Teen drivers (16–24) do so twice as often as older adults [03:27]

2. Why Teens Take These Risks

• Teens often have a sense of invulnerability, making long-term risks less meaningful to them.
  • “Many adolescents feel that they can walk on water and they're bulletproof, they are invincible. This is very characteristic for this stage of life.” – Dr. Rich [04:37]
• Immediate, tangible consequences (like losing their license or social status) resonate more than abstract, future dangers.
  • “He's less fearful of dying in a car crash than he is of losing his license because of a car crash.” – Dr. Rich [04:58]

Notable Analogy:
Dr. Rich compares the difference to how teens perceive the effects of smoking:
- “You can't talk to them about heart disease or lung cancer... But when you say... ‘nobody wants to kiss somebody who's been smoking,’ that has an effect that hits home.” – Dr. Rich [05:10]

3. Shock Statistics and Real Stories

• Using a cell phone while driving increases the likelihood of having an accident by 23 times.
  • “The National Transportation Safety Board has found that when you have a cell phone and drive, you're 23 times more likely to have an accident.” – Dr. Rich [04:11]
• There are real legal consequences, including multi-year license revocations for teens involved in fatal car crashes due to texting.
  • “A young man... convicted of vehicular homicide because he was texting... had his license revoked for 15 years.” – Dr. Rich [06:46]

4. Strategies for Parents — Collaborative Safety Planning

• Use immediate consequences to make the risks real for teens—such as the threat of losing license, social setbacks, or job impacts.

• Involve teens in setting rules and consequences:

  • “Work with your son to establish clear rules for his cell phone use in the car.” [07:23]
  • “Decide with him in advance what he thinks should happen if he abuses that responsibility.” [09:36]

• Practical tactics: Keep the phone out of sight, e.g., turned off and in the glove box. Out of sight, out of mind.

• There are apps that can disable phones while driving, but teens may find workarounds.

• Attention matters more than just hands:

  • Even hands-free and post-call distraction pose significant risks.
  • “That risk continued for up to five minutes after the phone call was over because they were still thinking about the content of that call.” – Dr. Rich [08:42]
  • “Hands free is not a solution. So hands free distracts almost as much as having the phone in your hand.” – Dr. Rich [09:01]

5. Accountability and Mutual Agreements

• Encourage self-regulation and mutual agreements instead of just imposing parental punishments.
  • “That gives his son ownership of the behavior and of the consequences, and it turns it from being a punishment into a responsibility.” – Dr. Rich [10:17]

6. The Power of Parental Modeling

• Model the behavior you want your teen to copy.
  • “Be the change you want to see. Your son listens to maybe 1% of what you say, but 100% of what you do. So don’t have a double standard here.” – Dr. Rich [10:50]

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Memorable Quotes

• “Distracted driving with a phone is as dangerous as drunk driving.”
  – Dr. Michael Rich [02:57]

• “69% of 18 to 64 year olds say they have texted while driving in the last month.”
  – Dr. Michael Rich [03:11]

• “When you have a cell phone and drive, you're 23 times more likely to have an accident.”
  – Dr. Michael Rich [04:16]

• “He’s less fearful of dying in a car crash than he is of losing his license.”
  – Dr. Michael Rich [04:58]

• “Be the change you want to see. Your son listens to maybe 1% of what you say, but 100% of what you do.”
  – Dr. Michael Rich [10:50]

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Timestamps of Key Segments

| Segment Description | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------|--------------| | Opening and listener question | 01:16 – 02:50| | The true risk and stats on distracted driving | 02:57 – 04:16| | Why teens are more prone to risky behaviors | 04:37 – 05:54| | Strategies for talking to teens about consequences | 06:14 – 07:42| | Practical advice for rule-setting and phone usage | 07:23 – 09:22| | The importance of parental modeling | 10:50 – 11:13|

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Conclusion

This episode delivers a clear, practical roadmap for families confronting the dangers of distracted driving. By grounding the discussion in both research and relatable analogies, Dr. Rich and Kristelle empower parents to approach their teens with empathy, facts, and collaborative solutions. The takeaway: don’t just tell your teen what to do—show them through your own habits, involve them in crafting rules, and help them grasp the real, immediate stakes of using a phone behind the wheel.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Hey, it's Dr. Michael Rich, the mediatrician. I'm a practicing pediatrician, a child health researcher, and as a lifelong filmmaker, I understand how powerfully screens engage and change us all. As a doctor who takes care of kids, I see how many of them, from infancy right through adolescence, struggle with their relationship with screens, whether it be their smartphone or a television. And I also see the deep concern that many parents have that the media their kids are using may be affecting their physical, mental and social health. So I try to bring these two worlds together to really understand and help parents learn how to raise healthy, happy, productive children in a world filled with digital screens. Mediatrix educator Christelle Lavallee joins me here each week to address your questions.

[C]

I happily do it. Thank you, Michael. So this week we hear from Logan, a dad based in Beverly, Massachusetts, who says, I've been begging my teen son not to text while driving, but I know he does it anyway. What can I do to get him to stop? So, Michael, before you jump in, I have to make a quick note here that I know Logan sent us this question via his iPhone because it was marked that way in his email signature. And all I could think was that I really, really hope he didn't send it from his car. So I'm just going to give you Logan, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt here and save parental modeling for another mediatrician question or maybe we can weave it in here, but. Okay, Michael, how can we help them out?

[B]

I'm glad you noted that emailing while driving is just as dangerous as texting while driving.

[C]

Yes, it is.

[B]

But let's think about what that risk is. Distracted driving with a phone is as dangerous as drunk driving. It's a serious health risk and one that health and legal professionals are paying attention to. Now, an interesting thing is that 69% of 18 to 64 year olds say they have texted while driving in the last month.

[C]

I feel like that number's almost higher. I think 69% is high. But I.

[B]

Here's the interesting thing when you break that down, the 16 to 24 year olds are texting more than twice as much as the 25 to 69 year olds.

[C]

Oh, wow. And they're the new drivers.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

They just got their license.

[B]

Exactly. In fact, 16 to 24 year old drivers can't even rent a car because even without smartphones, the risk to the rental car company of loss is greater up until the age of 25 than the benefit they will get from renting that car. So we have to really think about this. The National Transportation Safety Board has found that when you have a cell phone and drive, you're 23 times more likely to have an accident.

[C]

Wait, what? 23 times more likely?

[B]

23 times. And that issue.

[C]

Did you hear that, Logan son? 23 times more.

[B]

And the issue has come up again and again in Massachusetts, where even teens have been convicted of causing a fatal car crash while texting.

[C]

As if driving in Massachusetts wasn't dangerous enough.

[B]

Absolutely. Stories involving court cases and state prohibitions on texting and driving may not get the attention that Logan is looking for for his son, because many adolescents feel that they can walk on water and they're bulletproof, they are invincible. This is very characteristic for this stage of life. So we need to take it a step further for him. And interestingly, he's less fearful of. Of dying in a car crash than he is of losing his license because of a car crash. You know, and I find that with smoking, with kids, kids who are smoking, vaping or vaping, you know, you can't talk to them about heart disease or lung cancer or emphysema because that happens to old people. But when you say not them, but not them, if you say to them, nobody wants to kiss somebody who's been smoking, that has an effect that hits home. Right.

[C]

They want the girlfriend, they want the boyfriend.

[B]

Exactly. They want the immediate results of what they do. They need to Think that way in the moment. So I basically say to a kid who's smoking, you know, kissing you is like sticking your tongue into an ashtray.

[C]

Oh my God.

[B]

Right. I'll do anything to get them to stop smoking. So I'm pretty shameless that way. But he's not able to fully process long term consequences of his behavior. And so that idea of an accident that may be fatal or injures someone is just not that real to him.

[C]

Okay, so knowing that and knowing where, you know, Logan's son's brain's at, how is Logan supposed to get through to him?

[B]

Well, understand that you need to speak in immediate consequences or short term consequences. That would make sense. And while it's important to talk about all those very real dangers, maybe the most important thing to him is losing his license.

[C]

Death to a teen, being able to drive.

[B]

And in one of the cases in Massachusetts, a young man who was convicted of vehicular homicide because he was texting and actually killed someone had his license revoked for 15 years. Right. He's in his mid-30s by the time he actually gets to drive again. Think about how that affects his employment possibilities, how that affects his social life, and how that affects his self esteem.

[C]

Oh, yeah, no, I think the idea of losing a license for any amount of time, certainly 15 years, but almost any amount of time, would definitely hit hard for any teen. I mean, adults too. I can't imagine losing my license for 15 years.

[B]

So. So work with your son to establish clear rules for his cell phone use in the car. There are many apps now that deactivate the phone while driving, but often they have a pop off valve where you can push the button and say I'm a passenger or I'm not driving. And people will still push it while they're driving. But help him understand that while he can have his cell phone in car, he is much safer. A lot of innocent people out there around him are much safer if he has it turned off and even safer if it's turned off and put in the glove box.

[C]

Out of sight, out of mind.

[B]

Absolutely. And ask him what would help him keep his eyes and attention on the road. Now, here's an interesting thing. A study was done that looked at the effects of using a cell phone while driving. And of course, the greater risk was happening while they were on the phone talking that that risk didn't stop when they ended the phone call. That risk continued for up to five minutes after the phone call was over because they were still thinking about the content of that call.

[C]

That's no way really.

[B]

They were brains were just distracted in another place. And so it's not just the fact that your hands are being used either to text or to hold the phone to your ear, but it's where your attention is not on the road. And hands free is not a solution. So hands free distracts that is interesting almost as much as having the phone in your hand. Think about his long term and short term consequences with him and talk with him directly about what consequences there should be should he use the phone while driving and hopefully even use the phone while driving and have nothing happen but to help him become aware that he is self regulating that use. You're not there looking over him at every moment. But if you look at the cell phone bill and you see that during times when he was driving there was cell phone use, talk to him about it and understand that with him that there are consequences. But decide with him in advance what he thinks should happen if he abuses that responsibility.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, I love that idea. Michael. I really like the idea of making this a collaborative process for Logan to kind of empower his son by having him integrate his own ideas, you know, whatever his son kind of comes up with as a punishment.

[B]

Right. That gives his son ownership of the behavior and of the consequences and it turns it from being a punishment into a responsibility.

[C]

I like that. I think that's very powerful. Logan, you should use that. But I just do really, really quickly. I want to loop back to modeling just really quickly because we might have gotten this from a text or from the car. So what can you say to Logan just really quickly about modeling those behaviors for his son?

[B]

Be the change you want to see. Right? Short and sweet. This is back to the fact that your son listens to maybe 1% of what you say, but 100% of what you do. So don't have a double standard here. Behave the way you want your son to behave and he will follow that far more closely than any lecture you can give him.

[C]

Sage advice, sage advice. But Logan, we will give you the benefit of the doubt that you did not send us that email while driving. And we thank you so much for sharing it with us. So for you, our beloved listeners, if you would like to find out more about these health topics and our resources, you can visit askthemediatrician.org you can also connect with our very own Mediatrician on Twitter Mediatrician and submit your own [e-mail] thank you so much for listening and please subscribe and share this podcast enjoy

[B]

your media and use them wisely, hopefully not while rolling down the road. And enjoy your children and teach them to use them wisely as well. Ask the Mediatrician is hosted by Dr. Michael Rich, joined by Mediatrix educator Christelle Lavallee. Jill Arcavanagh is our Chief Knowledge Officer. Original music composed by Christopher Cerf podcast and music recorded, mixed and edited at Saturn Sound Studios Executive producer Alicia Haywood.