Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/738189
report by the American Automobile Association (AAA), 60 percent of car crashes involving teenagers are due to talking, texting and other distractions. Aside from cell phone usage, other distractions for teens causing them to be involved in car accidents included talking to passengers and looking at something inside the car. Overall, using your cell phone in any manner while driving increases your chances of an accident, as it takes your attention off the task at hand, which is to keep your eyes on the road, your hands on the wheel, and your mind on safe driving. Indeed, research has shown that driving performance is equally affected while using either a handheld or hands- free phone, leading to effects such as increased reaction time. This warning is especially relevant for American drivers, as a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that talking, texting and reading e-mail on the phone while driving are far more prevalent in the U.S. than in Europe. In the U.S., 69 percent of drivers between the ages of 18 and 64 reported talking on their cell phone while driving within the last 30 days. One-third of U.S. drivers also read or sent text messages or emails while driving — twice the rate of texting and emailing drivers in Spain. A little more than 30 percent of U.S. drivers report never using a cell phone while driving, compared to nearly 80 percent of drivers in the U.K and about 60 percent of drivers in Germany, France and Spain. Also on the rise are pedestrian injuries from cell phones, which are up 35 percent since 2010. It's estimated that 10 percent of the 78,000 US pedestrian injuries in 2012 were the result of "mobile device distraction." In this case, research has shown that texting is significantly more dangerous than talking on a cell phone while walking. To make the roads safer for everyone, the CDC offers the following commonsense recommendations: • Model safe behavior behind the wheel — never text and drive. • Always stay focused and alert when driving. • Take the pledge — commit to distraction-free driving. • Speak out if the driver in your car is distracted. • Encourage your friends and family to designate their cars a "no phone" zone when driving. Beware of Industry Bias It is important to note potential conflicts of interest in the media, and know the values of the people at publications from whom you receive your information. While many publications wrote responsibly about the recent NTP rat study, such as The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, Mother Jones, Science, Consumer Reports, and several others globally, The New York Times downplayed the findings, and also put out a video on the subject that contrasted sharply with the video of the Wall Street Journal's Ryan Knudson. When one looks into who owns The New York Times, it is not surprising to learn that billionaire telecom magnate Carlos Slim, who owns wireless assets globally, and who is Chairman and Chief Executive of telecommunications companies Telmex and América Móvil, is a major shareholder. Joel Moskowitz, Ph.D. of U.C. Berkeley has created a table, "Spin vs Fact: National Toxicology Program on Cancer Risk from Cell Phone Radiation," to illuminate some of the ways parties have downplayed the recent rat study, contrasting the spin with facts. The flurry of media coverage on this topic has highlighted biases at a number of publications, so remember to not take anything on face value alone, but instead always dig into the facts and learn which publications have an industry slant. Page 52 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com