Teenage Drivers Research Articles

Identifying the Causes and Protective Measures of Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) in Bahawalpur City, Pakistan

Road Traffic Accident (RTA) is a growing public issue and fall among the four top causes of mortality and morbidity globally. The main objective of this study was to identify the causes and protective measures of road traffic accidents in Bahawalpur City. Primary data was gathered through a structured questionnaire during a field survey in selected five public places as sample sites i.e. Larry Ada, University Chowk, Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH), One Unit Chowk, and Melad Chowk. Secondary data of road accidents was gathered form National Highway and Motor Way Police (NH&MP) while primary data was gathered from 150 respondents (30 from each study site) and analyzed in SPSS software by applying descriptive statistics and road accident risk index (RARI). Findings revealed that the main causes of these accidents include increase in population (62.66%), increase in demand for vehicles (22%), bike drivers (69.33%), overtaking of the vehicles (51.33%), over speed and hustle to reach the destination (34.66%). One wheeling is also a major reason, which results in the death of teenage drivers (52%), violation of the traffic rules (25.33%). RARI results also suggest the relationship between the affected persons and the road traffic accidents. Lastly, few suggestions were proposed to overcome the ratio and severity of road traffic accidents because these accidents are predictable and largely preventable through multi-disciplinary coherent strategies.

Teenage Driving, Mortality, and Risky Behaviors

We investigate the effect of teenage driving on mortality and risky behaviors in the United States using a regression discontinuity design. We estimate that total mortality rises by 5.84 deaths per 100,000 (15 percent) at the minimum legal driving age cutoff, driven by an increase in motor vehicle fatalities of 4.92 deaths per 100,000 (44 percent). We also find that poisoning deaths, which are caused primarily by drug overdoses, rise by 0.31 deaths per 100,000 (29 percent) at the cutoff and that this effect is concentrated among females. Our findings show that teenage driving contributes to sex differences in risky drug use behaviors. (JEL I12, J13, J16, R41)

Salesperson knowledge of teen-specific vehicle safety features

Objective Teen drivers experience elevated crash risk compared with experienced adult drivers. Active parental oversight can improve teen driving safety, and several manufacturers have released teen-focused safety features over the past decade. Still, parents don’t always use these systems and often don’t even know their vehicle is equipped. A recent survey found that parents who do know about such systems on their vehicle first learned of them from a salesperson at a dealership. The current study examined how salespeople discuss and sell teen-specific safety systems on vehicles to parents shopping for a new teen driver. Methods The study focused on four vehicle brands. Two researchers posed as the parents of a new teen driver who were shopping for a vehicle for their teen. They entered dealerships and conducted semistructured interviews with the salesperson that approached them, using prompts of increasing specificity about their teen driver and their interest in safety, and tracking at what point each salesperson mentioned their brand’s teen-specific systems, what features they mentioned, and how accurate those mentions were. Results Thirty of the 40 participating salespeople were able to mention their brand’s teen-specific system at some point during the procedure. Hyundai salespeople most consistently brought up their brand’s teen features, and Chevy salespeople mentioned the most features while Ford salespeople mentioned the fewest. Salespeople often mentioned speed-related features, although the most commonly mentioned features varied by brand. No participating salespeople reported receiving training specifically about their brand’s teen features. Discussion Most salespeople approached did mention their brand’s teen-focused safety systems, but did not usually do so until they had received more targeted prompts. Information these salespeople did share was often vague and general. Salespeople are a key source of information about a vehicle’s specific and relevant safety features, and parents without at least some vague preexisting knowledge about the systems or features that could be available on a vehicle of interest are not likely to leave a dealership with a clear idea of all available features that could aid their efforts to keep their teen drivers safe.

Learning to drive: Parental attitudes toward introducing teen drivers to advanced driver assistance systems

Objective Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have the potential to help mitigate the crash risk faced by new teen drivers. There has been little research on how these drivers use ADAS, as most only have access to these systems in their parents’ vehicles when learning to drive because teens tend to drive older, less expensive vehicles when driving independently. This study examined how parental attitudes toward ADAS influence how and when parents introduce their teens to these systems when teaching them to drive. Methods Three web-based focus groups were conducted with parents who owned ADAS-equipped vehicles and who either had a teen with either a learner permit or a teen who recently began driving independently. The moderator-led discussion examined participant attitudes about teen driving risk, the perceived benefits or risks associated with teen use of ADAS, and parents’ teaching strategies for ADAS. Researchers generated a list of likely themes from a review of existing literature and then coded participant responses according to those themes. Results Parents who chose to introduce ADAS to their new teen drivers did so while also reporting conflicting opinions about the reliability of vehicle technologies and the impact of such systems on driving safety and skill acquisition. Many parents reported some distrust of ADAS and concerns that some features could hinder the development of good driving habits, although most participants stated that ADAS have had a positive impact on their teen drivers' safety. Opinions were split about the best point at which to introduce ADAS to teens, with half preferring introduction at the outset and half preferring to wait until the teen had mastered basic driving skills. Attitudes varied according to individual vehicle systems, with a preference for blind spot monitoring and a general dislike of lane-keeping assistance. Conclusions Specific concerns about the potential impact of ADAS on teen driving safety and skill acquisition do not prevent parents from using such systems, although the teaching strategies parents use vary according to their preferences for individual systems.

Effects of an integrated collision warning system on risk compensation behavior: An examination under naturalistic driving conditions

Collision warning systems can improve traffic safety, while their safety benefit may be lessened due to improper risk compensation or system misuse. There are limited studies of advanced safety systems increasing unexpected risky driving behavior, especially with adolescent drivers. This study is designed to address this research gap in two main areas: 1) it seeks to examine whether and how the introduction of advanced driver-assistance systems influences drivers’ risk compensation behavior (e.g., increase of hard braking frequency), and 2) it investigates key factors (e.g., distraction) that contribute to changes in hard braking frequency during driving for both teen and adult drivers. Naturalistic driving data from two previous studies were analyzed in this study with two methods: a hierarchical logistic regression model was used to evaluate the effects of an integrated collision warning system on hard braking behavior, while a Random forests algorithm was applied to model hard braking behavior and to rank the contributing factors by calculating the importance scores. No statistical evidence was observed that the integrated collision warning system significantly changed the likelihood of hard braking for teen or adult drivers. Other factors like distraction, especially visual-manual distraction, had the largest impact on the hard braking behavior, followed by speeding and roadway segments (i.e., at intersections or not). Short time-headways and driving in high-density traffic significantly increased the likelihood of hard braking. Furthermore, the rate of hard braking behavior on surface roads was much higher than on highways, as expected. Compared with straight road segments, hard braking behavior was less likely to occur on curve roads. This study applied an analytical strategy by using both machine learning and statistical analysis methods to achieve high model accuracy and facilitate inference concerning the relationships among variables. Findings in this study can help to improve the design of integrated collision warning systems and the use of autonomous braking systems, and to apply appropriate analysis methods in understanding teen drivers’ behavior changes with those safety systems.

Trajectories of self-regulatory driving practices: Role of learner phase practice

IntroductionPrevious research suggests that driving practice in diverse contexts may contribute to earlier licensure and improve driving skills among teen drivers. However, few studies have examined the role of practice diversity in driving outcomes post-licensure. Specifically, examining self-regulatory driving practices post-licensure may provide insight into the extent to which teens choose to avoid driving various environments. The current study examined the relationship between learner phase driving practice diversity and teen self-regulatory driving practices over the first six months of licensure. MethodsFifty-six newly licensed 16-year-olds reported pre-licensure practice diversity, driving exposure and, self-regulatory driving practices at three timepoints (within 2 weeks of licensure and at 3 and 6 months post-licensure). ResultsMulti-level models revealed self-regulatory driving practices significantly decreased over the first six months of independent driving. Practice in complex environments (e.g., on a commercial road, on a highway, etc.) was associated with fewer self-regulatory driving practices at baseline. Practice in simple environments (e.g., in a residential area, in a parking lot) was associated with more self-regulatory driving practices at baseline. Practice driving at night and in bad weather conditions predicted greater post-licensure self-regulation of driving in those specific environments. ConclusionThis study reinforces the importance of practice diversity for teens before independent driving, as early practice can have implications for self-regulatory driving practices immediately upon licensure. Future research examining this topic may inform parent-based interventions to maximize teen driver safety during the critical post-licensure period.

Association between driver and child passenger restraint: Analysis of community-based observational survey data from 2005 to 2019

Introduction: Crash data suggest an association between driver seatbelt use and child passenger restraint. However, community-based restraint use is largely unknown. We examined the association between driver seatbelt use and child restraint using data from a state-wide observational study. Methods: Data from Iowa Child Passenger Restraint Survey, a representative state-wide survey of adult seat belt use and child passenger safety, were analyzed. A total of 44,996 child passengers age 0–17 years were observed from 2005 to 2019. Information about driver seatbelt use and child restraint was directly observed by surveyors and driver age was reported. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between driver seatbelt use and child restraint adjusting for vehicle type, community size, child seating position, child passenger age, and year. Results: Over the 15-year study period, 4,114 (9.1%) drivers were unbelted, 3,692 (8.2%) children were completely unrestrained, and another 1,601 (3.6%) children were improperly restrained (analyzed as unrestrained). About half of unbelted drivers had their child passengers unrestrained (51.8%), while nearly all belted drivers had their child passengers properly restrained (92.3%). Compared with belted drivers, unbelted drivers had an 11-fold increased odds of driving an unrestrained child passenger (OR = 11.19, 95%CI = 10.36, 12.09). The association between driver seatbelt use and child restraint was much stronger among teenage drivers. Unbelted teenage drivers were 33-fold more likely (OR = 33.34, 95%CI = 21.11, 52.64) to have an unrestrained child passenger. Conclusion: These data suggest that efforts to increase driver seatbelt use may also have the added benefit of increasing child restraint use. Practical applications: Enforcement of child passenger laws and existing education programs for new drivers could be leveraged to increase awareness of the benefits of seatbelt use for both drivers themselves and their occupants. Interventions aimed at rural parents could emphasize the importance of child safety restraints.

The effects of graduated driver licensing on teenage body weight.

The graduated driver licensing (GDL) program requires teenage drivers to pass through an intermediate stage, which contains specific driving restrictions such as a night curfew or a limit on the number of teen passengers to be carried, before earning full driving privileges. Using individual data from the 1999 to 2017 biennial Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) combined with state-level GDL policy variations, we estimate the effects of GDL on teenage body weight in the United States. We find that the presence of GDL raises adolescents' body mass index Z-score and their likelihood of being overweight or obese. Among the restrictions imposed, a night curfew implemented together with a passenger restriction makes the most significant impact. These estimated effects are concentrated among states with more restrictive GDL policies. We also find that the presence of GDL reduces adolescent physical activity and heavy smoking, while increasing their time spent watching TV and milk intake, perhaps contributing to youth weight gain. An event study analysis reveals that the effects of GDL on adolescent weight increase may be transitory.

Investigating fatal and injury crash patterns of teen drivers with unsupervised learning algorithms

Teenagers have been emphasized as a critical driver population class because of their overrepresentation in fatal and injury crashes. The conventional parametric approaches rest on few predefined assumptions, which might not always be valid considering the complicated nature of teen drivers' crash characteristics that are reflected by multidimensional crash datasets. Also, individual attributes may be more speculative when combined with other factors. This research employed joint correspondence analysis (JCA) and association rule mining (ARM) to investigate the fatal and injury crash patterns of at-fault teen drivers (aged 15 to 19 years) in Louisiana. The unsupervised learning algorithms can explore meaningful associations among crash categories without restricting the nature of variables. The analyses discover intriguing associations to understand the potential causes and effects of crashes. For example, alcohol impairment results in fatal crashes with passengers, daytimes severe collisions occur to unrestrained drivers who have exceeded the posted speed limits, and adverse weather conditions are associated with moderate injury crashes. The findings also reveal how the behavior patterns connected with teen driver crashes, such as distracted driving in the morning hours, alcohol intoxication or using cellphone in pickup trucks, and so on. The research results can lead to effectively targeted teen driver education programs to mitigate risky driving maneuvers. Also, prioritizing crash attributes of key interconnections can help to develop practical safety countermeasures. Strategy that covers multiple interventions could be more effective in curtailing teenagers' crash risk.

The effect of hazard awareness training on teen drivers of varying socioeconomic status

Objective To compare the effectiveness of the Risk Awareness and Perception Training (RAPT) program among teens of various socioeconomic status (SES). Methods A secondary analysis was undertaken of data collected from 5036 teen participants for a study in 2011. They were randomly assigned to either receive RAPT or a placebo training. The total number of crashes (property damage only and injury) within the first 12 months after licensure was recorded. A Poisson regression model was employed to investigate the effectiveness of RAPT in terms of crash frequency among teens in different levels of SES, as measured by SES level (high or low) or poverty rate. Results Poverty rate was significantly associated with participants’ crash frequency within the first 12 months after licensure such that when poverty rate increased, the crash frequency increased. The interacting effect of poverty rate and training was also significant. When compared to participants who did not receive RAPT, participants who received RAPT had fewer crashes when poverty rate increased. Conclusion The RAPT program attenuated the negative effect of teen drivers’ SES on crashes. No significant effect of sex or age was found, indicating that in terms of crashes, regardless of age or sex, RAPT is equally effective at reducing crashes for lower SES teens.

Identifying modifiable factors related to novice adolescent driver fault in motor vehicle collisions

Objective Novice adolescent drivers have a higher propensity to engage in risky driving and are at higher odds of being involved in collisions. Graduated driver licensing programs have been instituted to help novice drivers gain experience while avoiding higher risk driving circumstances. This study examines modifiable risk factors contributing to novice adolescent driver fault in collisions. Methods Police traffic collision report data from municipalities in Alberta for the years 2010–2016, inclusive, were used. Fault in collision was assigned using an automated and previously validated tool for assigning culpability. Factors contributing to novice adolescent (16-19 years of age) fault in collision were examined using multivariable logistic regression. Results Novice adolescent drivers had higher adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of being at-fault in collision when driving from 01:00-05:00 (aOR = 1.38; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.26-1.50). Novice adolescent drivers had lower odds of fault when driving with an adult (aOR= 0.62; 95% CI: 0.57-0.68) or a single peer (aOR= 0.87; 95% CI: 0.80-0.94), but higher odds of causing a severe collision with a single peer present (aOR= 2.23; 95% CI: 1.21-4.11). Impairment of the teen driver was reported in 25% of all fatal collisions, and 40% of late-night fatal collisions. Conclusions The findings support policies that allow driving with a single adult or peer passenger during daytime hours. Driving during late-night hours should be restricted for novice adolescent drivers.

Bayesian adjustment for measurement error in an offset variable in a Poisson regression model

Fatal car crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the USA. The Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) programme is one effective policy for reducing the number of teen fatal car crashes. Our study focuses on the number of fatal car crashes in Michigan during 1990–2004 excluding 1997, when the GDL started. We use Poisson regression with spatially dependent random effects to model the county level teen car crash counts. We develop a measurement error model to account for the fact that the total teenage population in the county level is used as a proxy for the teenage driver population. To the best of our knowledge, there is no existing literature that considers adjustment for measurement error in an offset variable. Furthermore, limited work has addressed the measurement errors in the context of spatial data. In our modelling, a Berkson measurement error model with spatial random effects is applied to adjust for the error-prone offset variable in a Bayesian paradigm. The Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling is implemented in rstan. To assess the consequence of adjusting for measurement error, we compared two models with and without adjustment for measurement error. We found the effect of a time indicator becomes less significant with the measurement-error adjustment. It leads to our conclusion that the reduced number of teen drivers can help explain, to some extent, the effectiveness of GDL.

634 Impact of Changing School Start Times on Drowsy Driving and Teen Motor Vehicle Crashes: A Longitudinal Examination

Abstract Introduction Early high school start times are associated with insufficient adolescent sleep, which in turn is associated with motor vehicle crashes [MVC]. This analysis examined the impact of a 70-minute delay in high school start times on student-reported drowsy driving and department of transportation MVC rates before and for 2 years after start time changes. Methods Self-reported sleep duration and drowsy driving data were drawn from a longitudinal study of changing high school start times (n=2099–4092/year) in the Cherry Creek School District (Arapahoe County [AC]). The Colorado Department of Transportation provided frequency/timing of weekday MVC data for teen (16–18 years) and adult drivers in AC and four neighboring counties in metro Denver (Other Counties [OC]). MVC rates per 1000 licensed drivers were calculated. Outcomes are reported for three school years: 2016–17 (pre-change), 2017–18 (post change), and 2018–19 (follow-up). Chi-square analyses examined drowsy driving frequency (at least once/week vs. less than once/week) by sufficient weeknight sleep duration (<8 hours vs. 8+ hours). Two-proportion z-tests compared MVC rates by county, as well as teens vs. adults. Results Compared to pre-change (29.3%), fewer students reported drowsy driving at post-change (20.3%) and follow-up (23.7%). Students who reported insufficient sleep also reported more frequent drowsy driving across all years (p’s<0.001 to 0.037). AC’s teen crash rate decreased from 78.9/1000 to 76.6/1000 post-change, with a further reduction to 68.7/1000 at follow-up. Pre-change crash rates did not differ between counties (p=0.444); however, they were significantly lower in AC vs. OC at both post-change (p=0.048) and follow-up (p=0.046). Adult crash rates remained consistent over three years in both counties. Morning crash rates per hour did not differ pre-change; at both post-change and follow-up OC’s morning crash rates peaked one hour earlier than AC’s (7:00-7:59am vs. 8:00-8:59am). Conclusion This study extends previous reports by finding that later school start times are associated with decreased drowsy driving and fewer teen motor vehicle crash rates for up to 2 years post-change. Early school start times is an important public policy that benefits adolescent sleep, health, and well-being through decreased drowsy driving and motor vehicle crashes. Support (if any) Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Evidence for Action Program

Characteristics of vehicles driven by teens and adults killed in crashes, 2013–2017

Introduction: Teen drivers experience higher crash risk than their experienced adult counterparts. Legislative and community outreach methods have attempted to reduce this risk; results have been mixed. The increasing presence of vehicle safety features across the fleet has driven fatality numbers down in the past decades, but the disparity between young drivers and others remains. Method: We merged Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data on fatal crashes with vehicle characteristic data from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). The analysis compared the vehicle type, size, age, and the presence of select safety features in vehicles driven by teens (ages 15–17 years) and adult drivers (ages 35–50 years) who were killed in crashes from 2013 to 2017. Results were compared with a similar analysis conducted on data from 2007 to 2012. Results: Teen drivers were more likely than their adult counterparts to be killed while driving older, smaller vehicles that were less likely to have the option to be equipped with side airbags. Discussion: Teenage drivers remain more likely to be killed while driving older, smaller vehicles than adult drivers. Parents and guardians are mainly responsible for teen vehicle choice, and should keep vehicle size, weight, and safety features in mind when placing their teen in a vehicle. Practical Application: These findings can help guide safer vehicle choice for new teen drivers.

CHARACTERIZING DRIVER TAKE-OVER ACCURACY: EFFECT OF AGE, SEX, STARTLE, AND SECONDARY TASK

The Acoustic Startling Pre-stimulus (ASPS, i.e. a loud sound preceding a physical perturbation was previously found to accelerate take-over actions in adults but not teens in autonomous vehicle scenarios. It is not clear if the ASPS also influences the accuracy of the take-over response across ages and sexes. Therefore the aims of this study are: to characterize take-over accuracy across age/experience and sex and to examine the effect of the ASPS and a secondary task on steering wheel alignment in autonomous vehicle take-over scenarios. Fourteen adult (7 males and 13 teenage (6 males drivers volunteered for this study. Participants were instructed to align a marker on the steering wheel with a marker on a lateral post as fast as they could, when a sled perturbation started. Two of the conditions included the ASPS. Two of the conditions involved mobile texting while the sled started moving. The angle between the steering wheel and the lateral post was used to quantify overshooting, undershooting, or correct alignment during steering. Results showed that adult female subjects reached correct alignment slightly more frequently than any other group, while male adult drivers decreased their alignment error after the first trial. Both female and male adult drivers had a reduced alignment angle when the first trial had an ASPS compared to when the first trial had no ASPS while teen drivers performed similarly with ASPS or without. This study showed that take-over accuracy and steering control are influenced by sex, age/experience, and a startle-based warning.

Young driver licensing and COVID-19

This commentary examines the available evidence of the safety benefit for current approaches to driver education and licensing for teenagers, and describes a number of promising alternatives that could complement...

Message to Parents of Teen Drivers, A

Patient Education| 2021 Message to Parents of Teen Drivers, A Connected Content Translation: Un mensaje para los padres de adolescentes que empiezan a conducir autos: (Message to Parents of Teen Drivers, A) Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Message to Parents of Teen Drivers, A. Pediatric Patient Education 2021; 10.1542/peo_document098 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All AAP SitesAll PublicationsPediatric Patient Education Search Advanced Search Subjects: Adolescents and School-aged Children, Safety and Prevention Topics: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, cell phones, death, ethanol, illicit drugs, legal guardians, seat belts, statutes and laws, air bags, employer Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens and young adults. More than 5,500 young people die every year in car crashes and thousands more are injured. Parents can play an important role in reducing these numbers and keeping their teens alive. The following are ways you can help keep teens safe on the road: Be a role model. If you expect your teen to drive safely, you need to drive safely, too.Always wear your seat belt.Don't drink and drive. Never allow any alcohol or illegal drugs in the car.Don't eat, drink, talk or text on your cell phone, or do anything else that could distract you from your driving.Stay within the speed limit and obey all traffic signals.Know the laws in your state. It is important that you know... Copyright © 2007 American Academy of Pediatrics, Updated 9/11. All rights reserved.2007 You do not currently have access to this content.

Shaping the Habits of Teen Drivers

Shaping the Habits of Teen Drivers

Teen Driving Restrictions and School Closures in Times of COVID-19

Teen Driving Restrictions and School Closures in Times of COVID-19

Analysis of US Teen Driving After Using Marijuana, 2017

Analysis of US Teen Driving After Using Marijuana, 2017