Back to Blog

Commonly asked Questions of Young Drivers

John and Theresa Kightlinger April 01, 2026 5 min read

Question: Cindy C. of Munith asked: What is the number one cause of teen deaths?

Answer: Distracted driving

Driving distracted endangers not only those behind the wheel, but also their passengers, pedestrians, and fellow road occupants. In fact, drivers using hand-held devices such as smartphones or iPods were four times more likely to get into a serious accident than those who didn’t. That is only one of the most dangerous distractions around.

  1. Food and drink

In a survey, 51% of drivers admitted that their driving had been compromised at least once due to eating or drinking while behind the wheel. As much as you might believe that you can drive and munch on something at the same time, it is more distracting than you think and not worth the risk.

  1. Music

Believe it or not, 61% of motorists admitted that they had been distracted while driving due to their radio, CD player, and even their iPod. So as nice as it is to jam out in the car, you may want to think twice before doing so.

  1. Making or taking a phone call

23% of drivers admitted that they continue to make or take phone calls while driving. Making the call alone forces you to be too focused on pressing numbers rather than driving. However, talking on the phone can be very distracting, especially if the call becomes emotional or upsetting. As challenging as it may be to ignore your beeping phone, you should wait until you are safely parked to answer it or to call back.

  1. Other passengers

Whether you are taking your children to school or are heading to a new restaurant with your friends, there are several ways that other passengers can distract you and keep your eyes off the road. On a side note, if you’re the passenger try not to distract the driver and assist in anything they cannot do while driving.

  1. Slowed down to look at an accident

This one probably sounds absurd, but it's hard not to look when there is an accident nearby. In a survey, 21% of motorists admitted to slowing down to look at an accident only to have their eyes taken off the road. If there is an accident, try to avoid getting distracted so that you don’t end up joining them.

  1. Texting

If you were upset by the 23% that talk on their phones while driving, you’re probably not going to be happy to hear about 16% who text instead of focusing on the road. Texting and driving has become an increasing trend and a dangerous one at that. No text is worth answering while you are on the road.

  1. Dozing off

Believe it or not, 5% of drivers have admitted to falling asleep or dozing off while behind the wheel. There has been government campaigns in order to discourage drivers from driving while tired and some places even offer cheap accommodation for a few hours to motorists that need to rest before continuing to drive.

  1. Putting on makeup

When you are in a rush, it may feel like it only makes sense to put on makeup or do other tasks while on the road. No matter how talented you think you are at it, please wait to get off the road to do your make up.

  1. Updating social media

Whether it’s updating your Facebook status or tweeting, using social media when your eyes are supposed to be on the road is dangerous. Much like with texting, this is becoming more common and is terribly dangerous. That aside, nothing is more incriminating in a car accident case than a tweet like “Stuck behind a slow driver. Ughh” or “Just hit a fire hydrant! Lol”.

  1. Smoking

In the past two years, one in ten crashes occurred because at least one driver was distracted due to a smoking related activity including lighting up or putting ashes in the car’s tray.

Driving is a visual task and non-driving activities that draw the driver's eyes away from the roadway should always be avoided.

As of July 1, 2010, Michigan law prohibits texting while driving. For a first offense, motorists are fined $100. Subsequent offenses cost $200.

Not only is distracted driving dangerous, it is also very costly.

Here at My Body Shop, we hope that people do not drive distracted, but when something does happen here is a list of ten things that should be on your insurance estimate in case of a collision. These things are commonly left off and are vital for you to receive a quality repair to replace the longevity of your vehicle and your peace of mind. We don’t just remove dents, we remove doubts.

  1. Pre-wash: It.is imperative to wash the vehicle when it comes in to find all the damage.

  2. Solvent clean: This.remove residue such as road tar, grease and even brake dust. This is vital to assure proper adhesion of the paint and if not done will void any warranty on your paint. It is required by all paint manufacturers such as PPG, Sherwin Williams and Axalta.

  3. Pre Scan: This.is to check all of the internal workings of your vehicle. They say it is like an EKG for your vehicle.

  4. OEM Research: This.is a must, it is the only way to know how to properly repair your vehicle per the manufacturers specifications.

  5. Corrosion Protection: It.is necessary to replace corrosion protection on all body panels replaced.

  6. Car Cover: There.are several reasons for this, to keep the primer and paint overspray from getting on adjacent panels. To keep dust and dirt off while in the shop.

  7. Road Test: This.is to make sure everything is running as it should. A lot of cars need up to a 30 minute road test as a relearn for some components.

  8. Post Scan: A.post scan is done to ensure all of the issues have been addressed.

  9. Final Wash: Preparing.the vehicle for delivery.

  10. Hazardous Waste: There.are several forms of hazardous waste that has to be taken care of, such as solvent and paint.

Not all collision shops are the same and if you are not seeing these items on your estimate you should ask why.