Distracted driving in the Augusta, Georgia area is a problem like it is in other places because it increases the risk for car accidents. Distracted driving is especially dangerous when it comes to young drivers. Some parents hope technology that controls the use of cellphones in moving vehicles will help reduce the risk of car accidents among teen drivers.

Parents today are aware of the communication habits of teenagers. Nearly half of teenagers use cellphones to surf the internet and more than one third use cellphones to access social media sites like Facebook. Most parents agree that teens behind the wheel need to focus on furthering their driving abilities not their social life. As a result, some parents have started to use technology that limits the ability of drivers to use cellphones while behind the wheel.

The technology prevents a driver from using her or his phone while the vehicle is in motion and thereby reduces the desire to pick up the phone, which limits distraction. The technology appears in a variety of formats such as smartphone applications that can be downloaded or separate physical devices that can be installed in the information ports of new vehicles.

One 50-year-old father who bought an application for his 21-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son says having the technology on his children's phones is "reassuring" because his children "live" on their phones and "do so much of their communication by text."

It is hoped that the technology will help rub out bad behavior behind the wheel, but the decision to use the technology remains in the hands of drivers.

Source: USA Today, "Technology tackles teen drivers' phone distractions," Larry Copeland, Jan. 17, 2012