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Publication #FAR1243

 

Teen Drivers1

Diana Converse2

Figure 1. 
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While nothing can be quite so liberating to a teenager as getting their driver's license, nothing can be quite so terrifying to the teenager's parents. Indeed, driving is a dangerous activity even for experienced drivers, and particularly for young, inexperienced drivers.

Motor vehicle-related injuries are the biggest health threat to teenagers in the United States, accounting for two out of five deaths among teens ages 16-19 years, according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The crash risk is highest for 16-year-old drivers, due to their immaturity and limited driving experience. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers are four times more likely than older drivers to crash.

There are a number of risk factors associated with teenage driving. For example, compared with other age groups, teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use. A 2003 study showed that 18% of high school students reported they rarely or never wear seat belts when riding with someone else. Also, teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate or fail to recognize hazardous or dangerous situations.

If other teens are in the car, the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers increases. The risk of involvement in a motor vehicle crash is also greater for teens than for older drivers during nighttime driving and when alcohol is involved.

Research indicates that close parental management of teen drivers and state-level graduated driver licensing programs (GDL – Arnett, 2004) can lead to less risky driving behavior, fewer traffic tickets, and fewer crashes. Establishing and enforcing set rules about driving are necessary for keeping our teens safe.

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References

Arnett, J.J. (2004). Adolescence and emerging adulthood: A cultural approach (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.) Research update. [Deleted 18 September 2012] http://notes.edc.org/hhd/csn/csnnews.nsf/0/6a5252cc36c3f12f85256dc800567930/$FILE/Injury%20Prevention.pdf.

Simons-Morgan, B.G. (2002). Reducing young driver crash risk. Injury Prevention, 8, ii1-ii2.

Footnotes

1.

This document is FAR1243, one of a series of the Family Youth and Community Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Broadcast as program 293 in January 2007. Published on EDIS September 2012. In the interest of time and/or clarity, the broadcast version of this script may have been modified. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Diana Converse, Extension agent III, Hillsborough County, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.