Is it time to take the keys away from our teenage drivers?
Parents, if you want to know how teen drivers really think and behave behind the wheel, check out the results of this revealing survey of 1,000 young drivers. (Warning: Some of the thoughts and opinions expressed in the survey may cause severe parental anxiety and an urge to take away the car keys. Continue at your own risk.)
“Speeding is fun,” according to 17% of the 15-to-17-year-old participants in the Allstate Foundation’s survey, part of a comprehensive report on teenage fatalities.
Sixty-nine percent said they drive fast to keep up with traffic. A fourth admitted they were “aggressive drivers” who drive more than 20 mph over the speed limit.
Thirty-five percent said they speed because it’s “safe as long as I watch out for cops and stay in control of the vehicle,” as one teen said.
Since one-third of all teen fatalities involve speeding, these are some pretty scary attitudes, admit researchers. Here’s more to turn your hair gray:
* A majority, 61%, said they take risks when driving because they “are good drivers.”
* More than one-fourth said they take risks because they aren’t thinking of the consequences.
* More than half of the teens said they routinely use cellphones while driving.
* Sixty-seven percent also said they have felt unsafe in vehicles driven by friends.
* Forty-five percent said they would speak out if scared or uncomfortable while another teen is driving. Nevertheless, 50% doubted the driver would listen to them.
“It’s very hard to speak up [because] it ticks the driver off,” said one teen.
Teen fatalities are nothing new. But the tens of thousands of deaths over the last decade have prompted auto safety groups, law enforcement and medical professionals to search for new ways to tackle the problem.
“The numbers are staggering,” says Linda Behzad, an author of the Allstate report. “No other kind of hazard or behavior comes close to claiming as many teen lives. We believe it has become a chronic public health issue.”
Despite tough driving laws designed to protect and educate young drivers, the problem could soon get worse; the number of new drivers is expected to increase 23% within the next five years, according to the nonprofit, independent foundation based in Northbrook, Ill. The group funds and develops programs to improve safety nationwide.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has also taken a hard look at the issue. A recent analysis showed that a majority of those killed in teen driving crashes are people other than the teen drivers themselves.
Nationwide, the group’s January study showed that young, novice drivers compose slightly more than one-third of all fatalities in crashes in which they are involved.
Another recent study, by the Automobile Club of Southern California, said crash data for the Southland show that drivers 15 to 17 years of age were at fault in 68% of the fatal crashes in which they were involved.
“The tragedy of teen-driver crashes goes well beyond the teen driver and their passengers,” says Kathy Downing, manager of a driving school program for Auto Club members.
Teens too often put others at risk, she says. Crashes may involve family members, even younger siblings. “The teen and the entire family can suffer emotional trauma that will last a lifetime,” says Downing. It’s clear, she says, “young drivers’ lack of experience on the road is a major traffic safety issue.”
By and large, teenagers recognize the risks involved with driving. In the Allstate Foundation survey, three-fourths of them believed that vehicle crashes were the No. 1 cause of death among their peers. But in actual driving situations, teens don’t always behave as if they “fully appreciate those dangers,” according to Behzad.
In 2004, there were 7,898 fatalities involving drivers in the U.S. ages 15 to 20, according to Ray Tyson, spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The number of teen drivers killed that year was 3,620.
Based on input from teen focus groups in Los Angeles and the online survey, Allstate researchers found that hearing real-life experiences from victims or their families seems to resonate more with young drivers than staged events at school in which students portray accident victims.
The study chose to concentrate on teen attitudes and peer pressure, rather than technical driving skills. It also consulted with psychologists who specialize in adolescents.
The study pointed to recent research into adolescent brain development that may explain why some of the established teen driving programs have not been more effective in cutting deaths and injuries.
Dr. Jay Giedd, a neuroscientist in Potomac, Md., says areas involving multi-tasking, impulse control and the ability to assess risks are still developing until age 25 and may explain why some teens take risks. Such findings have led some safety advocates to consider whether teens are being allowed to drive too early.
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Jeanne Wright can be reached at jeanrite@aol.com.
