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.