According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), inexperience behind the wheel makes teen drivers more susceptible to distraction. Norton Children’s Prevention & Wellness offers parents and families classes and information to help teen drivers prevent distracted driving.

What Causes Accidents With Teen Drivers?

According to the NHTSA, about 1 in 3 teens who text say they have done so while driving. NHTSA research has found that dialing a phone number while driving increases a teen’s risk of crashing by six times, and texting while driving increases the risk by 23 times.

Traffic crashes are one of the leading cause of death for teens (ages 15 to 18) in the United States.

While many may think teen driving accidents are due to aggressive driving, it’s more often critical errors due to inexperience. These errors include:

•  Failure to scan, detect and respond to road hazards
• Driving too fast for road conditions
• Distraction from something inside or outside the vehicle

Research has shown that teen drivers are 2.5 times more likely to engage in one or more potentially risky behaviors when driving with a peer, compared with driving alone. When driving with multiple peer passengers, that likelihood increases to 3 times. These risky behaviors include:

• Distracted driving
• Driving while drowsy
• Driving under the influence of substances
• Not using a seatbelt
• Speeding

What Families Can Do to Support Teen Drivers

Families can take steps to help teens drive safely and stay safe:

• Be an example for your child. Model good driving behavior for your child. Wear your seatbelt on every ride. Keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, and model the behaviors you want your child to have as a driver. Children will notice the difference between your driving and how you’re telling them to drive. Teen drivers often learn from watching adults drive.

• Talk about the responsibility of driving. Remind your child that driving is a skill that takes a person’s full attention. Share experiences — personal or those you’ve heard/read — about teen drivers and distracted driving. Share statistics about distracted driving while texting or using a phone.
  
  Consider asking your child to sign a pledge that includes expectations for road safety and avoiding distraction, which could include:
  • Limiting the number of passengers in the car while your teen drives
  • Hours your teen can drive

•  Know your state’s laws. Every state has graduated driver licensing laws that enforce guidelines for teen drivers. Additionally, many states have novice driver provisions within distracted driving laws. Talk to your child about these laws, including the consequences for breaking the graduated licensing law or distracted driving laws.
  • Kentucky Graduated Driver Licensing Program
  •  Indiana Probationary Driver’s Licensing

• Set consequences. If your child breaks a rule you’ve set around driving, consider suspending their driving privileges or further limiting when they can drive or the places they can drive to. Additionally, limiting access to a phone or other electronic devices could be seen as a serious consequence for their actions.

What Teen Drivers Can Do

Individuals cannot drive safely without paying full attention to the road. Any activity, from texting to eating or drinking and chatting with passengers, can be a distraction that increases the risk for crashing the car. Teens can take action to prevent distracted driving:

• Consider completing the Distracted Teen Driver Challenge to see how quickly something can divert your attention while driving.
• Speak up if you are with a friend or family member who is driving distracted.
• Sign a distracted driving pledge and encourage your friends to do so.
• Lead by example when driving your friends and family.
• Enroll in a graduated driver licensing course and driver education training. Visit Graduated Driver Licensing Program – DRIVE to enroll.

IMPACT Teen Drivers Class

Norton Children’s Prevention & Wellness offers this free class to the community to help teens (ages 14 to 17) learn how to avoid distractions and take control of what is happening inside the car, as a driver or a passenger. A distraction is anything that takes the driver’s:

• Eyes off the road
• Hands off the wheel
• Mind off driving

Teens have limited driving experience and are more likely to be distracted while driving. They’re also more likely to be in a crash or near crash while distracted. With hands-on instruction, students experience what distractions and impairments can look and feel like. The class covers cellphone use, drowsy driving, proper seat belt use, empowering passengers, how drugs and alcohol affect the brain and decision-making, graduated driver licensing laws and more. To request IMPACT Teen Drivers at your school, community group, athletic team or club, click here.