Is Your Teen Texting and Driving? They May Also Not Be Wearing Their Seat Belt

Some parents might have good reason not to let their 16-year-old take the wheel.

A new study shows that teens who text and drive (and let's face it, there are a lot of them) may be putting themselves in more danger, by also not wearing their seat belt. 

The study showed that teens who reported texting and driving in the last month were more likely to say that they don't always wear a seatbelt. To add to that, some even said they drove after alcohol consumption or they rode as a passenger with a driver who drank alcohol.

Researchers find this information particularly troubling as texting while driving can dramatically increase the chances of car accident and contribute to other hazardous conditions.

According to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 19 percent of drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were distracted by their cell phones.

The study suggests that "there is a subgroup of students who may place themselves, their passengers, and others on the road at an elevated risk for a crash-related injury or fatality by engaging in multiple risking behaviors," according to researchers.

The researchers analyzed information from a 2011 survey of more than 15,000 U.S. teens in high school, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 45 percent of teens said they sent a text or email while driving at least once in the last month. Of these, more than one in four said they engaged in the risky behavior every day.

Students who said they had sent a text or email while driving were 5 times more likely to say that they had driven a car when drinking alcohol at least once in the past month.

Some states have laws prohibiting teens from using a phone or texting while driving, but it's not clear how well these laws are enforced.

Parent supervision of their child's driving may be the best way to prevent such risky behavior, the researchers said.

Pediatricians should also encourage parents to prohibit their teens from using a cellphone while driving, and to set an example by not texting or using a phone while driving themselves.

Results from the study can be found in (May 13) issue of the journal Pediatrics.