North Bay teens learn consequences of distracted driving at Sonoma Raceway

Since 2012, five fatal Sonoma County crashes have been attributed to distracted driving.|

CHRISTI WARREN

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

April 5, 2017

Distracted Driving Facts

• The five seconds it takes to text while driving 55 mph is enough time to travel the length of a football field blindfolded.

• Ten percent of fatal crashes, 18 percent of injury crashes and 16 percent of all police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2014 were reported as distraction-affected crashes.

• In 2015, 59.6 percent of California drivers surveyed stated that they have been hit or nearly hit by a driver talking or texting.

• Seventy-three percent of teens admit to sending a text while driving.

• Ten percent of all drivers ages 15 to 19 involved in fatal collisions were reported as distracted at the time.

• At any given moment during daylight hours, over 660,000 vehicles are being driven by someone using a hand-held cellphone.

- Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Distraction.org, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, CA Statewide Observational Survey of Cellphone & Texting Use by Drivers

On her first trip Wednesday through the driving course at Sonoma Raceway, 16-year-old Shawnee Wallace didn't do so well, hitting about a dozen cones and briefly getting lost in the orange maze.

On her second attempt she did even worse, bothered by driving instructor Ken Fukuda's questions - did she like his shirt, what's the time, would she help pick up his dropped water bottle - and his turning on the radio and blasting hip-hop.

But that was the whole point of the exercise: to showcase the perils of distracted driving.

About 10 students from around the North Bay participated in Wednesday's three-hour program by Sacramento nonprofit Impact Teen Drivers, the CHP, Simraceway Performance Driving Center and the Sonoma Raceway as a kickoff for Teen Driver Safety Week and Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for American teens, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Sixteen percent of all distracted-driving crashes involve drivers under age 20, and 73 percent of drivers between 18 and 20 admit to texting while driving.

In California, a 2016 survey found 16- to 24-year-olds had a significantly higher rate of texting usage while driving than other age groups, even though the state is one of 46 that bans text messaging while driving.

Distracted driving is anything diverting a person's attention away from driving: texting, talking on a cellphone, grooming, reading maps, or adjusting an audio or navigational system.

Wallace, a sophomore at Justin-Siena High School in Napa, recently got her learner's permit. When her dad learned about Wednesday's program, he decided to send her. She admitted the experience was worthwhile.

“This is stuff they don't teach you at driver's ed,” said Wallace, who lives in Sonoma. “I know I have friends who will Snapchat, go on Instagram, text while driving.”

Since 2012, there have been five fatal accidents in Sonoma County attributed to distracted driving, with an additional 266 distracted-driving accidents causing injuries. Statewide, distracted driving is on the rise. While 9.2 percent of drivers displayed distracted driving because of an electronic device in 2015, that figure rose to 12.8 percent a year later.

A California law that went into effect Jan. 1 prohibits drivers from holding a cellphone. Under the new law, a driver may activate or deactivate a feature or function of the cellphone or wireless communication device by swiping or tapping its screen only if it is mounted or not being held in a driver's hand.

CHP Officer Marc Renspurger said programs like Wednesday's give teens “more tools for their tool belt.”

“They got a really unique opportunity today to drive with those instructors ... and get some tips on how to react in certain situations,” he said. “I believe it does make a difference.”

Maria Coyner, a 27-year-old Stockton woman, was part of the presentation. In 2012, she was driving home from work in rural San Luis Obispo County on a road she regularly traveled. She got a text from her boyfriend, and thought nothing of quickly checking it. That's when she hit something. Coyner looked around, but didn't see anything, and kept driving.

She didn't realize she'd killed 24-year-old Christopher Tietjen, who'd been walking along the side of the road, until two days later when the CHP contacted her at work.

“My body just went numb,” she told the teens Wednesday.

She was sentenced to 90 days in prison, and after her release realized she wanted to warn teens about the consequences of distracted driving.

Hearing Coyner's story deeply affected Wallace.

“It's not really real until you can identify with the person,” she said. “When Maria came up, honestly, it was like, this is real. This isn't an actor telling someone else's story. This is her. This is real.

“It impacts you in a way that I don't even know how to describe. It's just like, wow, this could be me. This could be my best friend.”

You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 707-521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @SeaWarren.