Eyes on the road: Building safe driving habits for Michigan youth
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EmailFacts about teens and distracted driving everyone should know.
Learning to drive brings freedom and independence for teens, but it also comes with new responsibilities. Staying focused behind the wheel is one of the most important habits young drivers can build. With phones buzzing, music playing and friends in the car, distractions can creep in quickly. That’s why Michigan State University Extension partnered with the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning to provide educational programs to help teens recognize these risks and develop safe driving skills that last.
Recent research highlights why this work is so important. For example, almost 40% of high school students report texting or emailing while driving at least once in the past month. Even a quick glance at a phone can take a driver’s eyes off the road for five seconds: the length of a football field at 55 miles per hour. Add in other common distractions such as eating, adjusting the radio or driving with multiple teen passengers, and the risks climb even higher.
In Michigan alone, there were over 16,000 distracted driving crashes in 2021. While only 6.7% of Michigan drivers are under 21, they were involved in 18.1% of those crashes. These numbers show that inexperience combined with distraction can have serious consequences.
Fortunately, prevention education works. Programs like 4-H Click it Time give teens hands-on learning experiences about the importance of seat belt use and staying focused behind the wheel. Teens who participate not only walk away with greater awareness, but also with practical strategies to make safer choices every time they drive
By empowering young people with these tools, MSU Extension and its partners are helping create safer roads for everyone today, and in the future. Learn more about 4-H Click it Time in a future article or contact Alyssa at piconeal@msu.edu.
Connect with MSU Extension in your community by contacting your county MSU Extension office. Visit the 4-H Healthy Youth website to learn more about 4-H healthy living programs for youth.
