I am pleased today to provide a guest post by Kelly Larsen of IDriveSafely, an online driving school based in Carlsbad, California.
The Passenger Problem: How Driving Peers Affects Teens
They’ve turned 16, they’ve passed their driving test—and now they’ve got their driver’s license! Your teen will no doubt want to exercise their new freedom as soon as possible, and this typically involves showing off their independence to their friends. But be wary: studies show that teen driving is negatively impacted when peers are in the car with them.
In one study conducted by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm, 677 teen drivers involved in serious car accidents were analyzed. Among those who stated that they were distracted by something inside the vehicle before the crash, 71% of male teens and 47% of female teens reported that they were directly distracted by the actions of their passengers.
In addition, when male teen drivers had passengers in the vehicle with them, they were nearly 6 times more likely to perform an illegal maneuver – and more than twice as likely to drive aggressively right before a crash – than male teens who were driving alone. With findings like these, it’s clear that having passengers in the car poses real dangers for teen drivers.
The good news is that most states have a restriction on passengers for new teen drivers as part of their Graduated Driver Licensing laws: according to the Governors Highway Safety Association, 47 states and Washington D.C. impose restrictions on the number of passengers that new teen drivers may transport.
A common rule is that drivers may not carry passengers for the first 6-12 months after getting their driver’s license. Many specify that teens may not drive individuals under the ages of 21 or 18. And when you look at the research, it makes sense why.
It’s an unfortunate truth, but younger passengers are often a major source of distraction for teens. When their friends are in the car, teens tend to feel overconfident, and therefore more likely to drive aggressively or participate in driving behaviors that are unsafe, such as playing music loudly or texting behind the wheel.
Even with laws in place, it’s important that parents play a role in making sure their teens don’t have passengers when they shouldn’t. Even after the restriction period is up, young drivers may not be ready to handle the distraction that comes with driving others. Talk to your teen, and come to an agreement on rules for having friends in the car. After all, driving is a huge responsibility, and when it comes to teen driver safety, you can never be too careful.
About the Author:
Kelly Larsen is a copywriter for I DRIVE SAFELY, the nation’s number one provider of online traffic school and driver’s education. With over 10 years’ experience in the field of safe driving, I DRIVE SAFELY has provided exceptional online courses to millions of new drivers, drivers looking to handle a traffic ticket and clear their diving record, or drivers looking to save money on auto insurance. To find out more or sign up, please visit http://www.idrivesafely.com/.
Links:
In one study – http://www.chop.edu/news/teen-passengers-the-other-distraction-for-teen-drivers.html
Governors Highway Safety Association – http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/license_laws.html
As a mom, I think that there should be a greater emphasis on safe driving in schools. Also, parents should set a better example for their children concerning distracted driving habits, especially those children who are approaching driving age. Setting expectations for teen drivers about limiting the number of passengers that can be in the car would be helpful too. Great post! Thanks for sharing!