Bottom Line: A distracted driving survey of millennial parents (ages 22 to 37) and older parents (37 and up) shows that most parents had read and written texts while driving in the part 30 days but millennial parents had higher survey scores that reflected more reckless driving behavior, including the use of email, social media and maps plus speed of travel. The survey included 435 parents from 45 states and survey scores were associated with crash rate. This study has limitations, including the potential for inaccurate recollections by parents and a possible bias for more technologically savvy parents because the survey was online. Few parents said their pediatrician had talked to them about distracted driving and few used an app to restrict texting while driving. Both could be potential intervention strategies.
Authors: Regan W. Bergmark, M.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and coauthors
(doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.0830)
Editor's Note: The article contains conflict of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
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JAMA Pediatrics