What Makes Teenagers Such Bad Drivers?

Most of us remember the giddy anticipation that we felt when we finally became old enough to drive.  The freedom!  The excitement!  Few teens, however, consider some of the darker consequences of a driver’s permit.  The grimmest consequence is that once a teen gets behind the wheel, their chance of dying increases dramatically.  In fact, according to the National Safety Council (NSC), traffic crashes account for 44% of all teen deaths – making automobile accidents the number one cause of death for America’s teens.  This statistic is not getting better, either.  A researcher at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute has stated, “Little or no positive change has occurred in teen crash numbers in the past 10-15 years.”

 

Such a disproportionally high death rate for teens compared to older drivers begs the question – what makes teenagers such bad drivers?  Most people can guess why teens and cars are such dangerous mixes.  Teenagers are more likely to engage in and enjoy risky behavior than older people.  Teens are new to driving, and like any new skill it takes time to learn one’s limitations and develop the coordination needed to navigate a busy road (and ignore distractions like cell-phones, music players, or loud friends).  What is less well understood is why risky behavior is so appealing and what it really takes to develop the skills needed to become a “good” driver.

 

Teen Thrill Seekers and Auto Accidents

 

Ask any driver, teenager or not, about risky behavior.  We’ve all heard the saying “speed kills”.  We all know that aggressive driving can be very dangerous.  We all know that running stop signs or red lights can result in an accident, and we all know that drinking and driving don’t mix.  So why do these things still happen and why are our younger drivers especially prone to such behavior?  Part of the problem is immaturity, say researchers.

 

Studies have found that the area of the brain that controls impulses, organizes thoughts, and weighs consequences does not mature fully until a person is about 25 years old.  Additionally, chemicals and hormones in the brain that regulate mood and excitability are very active in teens.  These two factors together can make it very difficult for a young driver to control his or her impulses, resist peer pressure, and avoid thrill-seeking activities.  Until the brain matures, it can be difficult for teens and young adults to act responsibly when they are so overcome with such intense feelings.

 

What can be done about all the new teen drivers turned loose on our roads, awash in hormones and unable to control their risky behavior?  Graduated licensing programs are one answer, and most states already use some form of gradual licensing to ensure that new drivers take it slow.  However, as we’ll discuss later, some researchers don’t think these programs go far enough to control young drivers.  Some lawmakers have proposed raising the driving age, which varies by state.

 

Some research backs this up – a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that 16-year-old new drivers have more accidents than 17-year-old new drivers.  However, those opposed to raising the driving age claim that it would hurt families whose youngest drivers need a car to get to work.  Other opponents argue that its experience, not age, that matters.

 

Patience, Grasshopper

 

New drivers need one attribute more than others when they are first handed their license:  patience.  Research has found that accident rates drop dramatically once teens have a few years of experience under their belt.  It’s the first few years of driving that are the most dangerous, so young drivers need to play it safe and avoid risky situations until they become a proficient driver.

 

The most common kind of accident for teen drivers involves only a single vehicle – their own.  Excessive speed, driver distraction, alcohol use, and lack of seatbelt use all contribute to injuries and deaths in single car accidents involving teenagers.  One of the ways to combat the high accident rate is to institute a graduated licensing program, which many states including Virginia already use.  However, some researchers argue that graduated driving programs while necessary, don’t go far enough.

 

Research has found that each additional passenger in the vehicle with a teen driver increases the risk of a crash.  Other risk factors for a crash include driving on weekends and driving at night.  Put all of these together – driving with several passengers on a weekend night – and you have a surefire recipe for a teen traffic accident.

 

Studies have also shown that teen girls are more likely than teen boys to be involved in an auto accident when they first receive their license, except for accidents involving alcohol.  The likelihood that a teenage girl will be involved in an accident can be predicted by certain factors:  peer use of alcohol, parental permissiveness of teen alcohol use, past alcohol use, and susceptibility to peer pressure.  As for teen boys, the single greatest accident predictor was past alcohol use.  Alcohol use is such a strong predictor of traffic accidents that many experts believe current underage drinking laws are either not strong enough or aren’t being enforced well enough.

 

Researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) are calling for graduated programs to address the various combinations of risky driving situations, not each individual situation.  For example, many graduated programs restrict driving at night, but not on the weekends.  Researchers argue that restrictions should be placed on all interacting factors, like the aforementioned risky scenario where a teen is driving with friends on a weekend night.  Instead of just restricting driving with passengers or just driving at night, the combination of situations should be restricted in order to further reduce the chances of an accident.  In addition, given the strong correlation between teen alcohol use and accidents, graduated programs should contain much stiffer penalties for alcohol use by young drivers.

 

The Serpe Firm cares about your family and wants you and your teenage driver to stay safe on the roads.  However, sometimes “accidents happen”.  If you or a loved one have been involved in a serious auto accident, please contact the Serpe Firm immediately.  The Serpe firm is a Virginia based practice serving Norfolk, Tidewater, Virginia Beach, and Richmond areas.  Let us help you recover from the devastating effects of your auto accident and get you the compensation you deserve.

 

Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, P.C.
580 East Main Street, Suite 310
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: 757-233-0009
Fax: 757-233-0455