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In the most comprehensive research ever conducted into crash videos of teen drivers, the foundation found distractions are a factor in nearly six of 10 moderate-to-severe teen crashes, a number that’s four times as many as official estimates based on police reports.
Of this number, 89 percent of the teen drivers were in road-departure crashes, while 76 percent were rear-end crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration previously estimated driving distraction was a factor in only 14 percent of all teen driver crashes.
“Access to crash videos has allowed us to better understand the moments leading up to a vehicle impact in a way that was previously impossible,” said Lloyd Albert, senior vice president of public and government affairs for AAA Northeast.
The research found the most common forms of distraction leading up to a teen’s crash include:
- Interacting with one or more passengers: 15 percent.
- Cell phone use: 12 percent.
- Looking at something in the vehicle: 10 percent.
- Looking at something outside the vehicle: 9 percent.
- Singing/moving to music: 8 percent.
- Grooming: 6 percent;
- Reaching for an object in the vehicle: 6 percent.
The foundation’s research is important because teens have the highest crash rate of any group in the United States.
About 963,000 drivers between the ages of 16 to 19 were involved in a police-reported crash in 2013, which is the most recent year of available data. These crashes resulted in 383,000 injuries and 2,865 deaths.
Because teen drivers don’t have the experience older drives do behind the wheel to manage unsafe conditions, the AAA study also shows how important it is for states to review their graduated driver licensing and distracted driving laws to ensure they provide the most protection for teens.
Graduated driver licensing laws allow new drivers to gain practical experience in a relatively safer driving environment by restricting exposure to risky situations. Thirty-three states, including Connecticut, have laws that prevent cellphone use by teens. Connecticut is one of several states with a comprehensive graduated driver licensing law that prohibits novice teen drivers from using any type of electronic device including hand held or hands-free cellphones.
For more information, visit TeenDriving.AAA.com.? The full AAA Foundation research report and video of teen driver crashes is available on the foundation’s website, www.aaafoundation.org.
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