For Teen Drivers, There’s No Safety in Numbers

Although adult researchers are pretty much unanimous in pegging teen male drivers as more accident-prone than their female counterparts, teens themselves are divided about which gender is worse on the road.

“Young guys screech their tires and show off their cars,” said Anais Sahabian, 15, a Los Angeles high school sophomore enrolled in driver’s education. “Girls are more attentive.”

Dane Butler, 16, of Burbank, said he thinks girls are more dangerous behind the wheel. “I’ve seen more girls getting into accidents than boys,” he said. “A lot of them are distracted.”

Indeed, Iana Azusada, a 17-year-old Los Angeles high school senior who is studying for her driver’s permit, said she has observed classmates who drive while talking on a cell phone or checking the car mirror, “worried about how they look.” But she doesn’t think the girls she knows are any riskier drivers than the boys

There are ways to reduce the likelihood of risky driving behavior among teens that can lead to accidents or other problems.

“Graduated licenses [in which driving privileges are phased in slowly] have been shown to be effective in reducing teen crashes,” said Insurance Institute for Highway Safety spokesman Russ Rader. As teen drivers get older, the crash rates decline.

The fewer passengers teen drivers carry in the car, the lower the likelihood of an accident. “With two or more passengers in the car with a teen driver, the risk of a fatal crash rises five times compared to driving alone or with one passenger,” Rader said.

Kathleen Doheny