Teen Driving Distractions

TALKING DISTRACTS TEEN DRIVERS

            An analysis of nearly 1,700 videos that documented the actions of teen drivers in the moments immediately preceding car crashes reveals that distractions were a factor in nearly 60 percent of moderate to severe crashes. In particular, researchers cited that teens talking (with passengers or on their cellphones) poses a bigger crash risk than previously thought. The analysis of videos from cameras mounted in vehicles (which showed both the driver and the view outside the windshield) reveals that distractions play a four-times-greater role in car crashes involving teen drivers than previous official estimates based on police reports. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration previously estimated that distraction was a factor in only 14 percent of all teen driver crashes.