Washington – Teen driver crashes may be caused by distracted driving more often than you think.
In a study released March 25, researchers from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety analyzed almost 1,700 crash videos provided by in-vehicle recording systems. They concluded that distractions were involved in nearly 6 out of 10 moderate-to-severe crashes involving teens – a rate 4 times higher than police reports suggest.
Researchers said the most common types of distractions that preceded crashes were:
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- Interacting with passenger(s): 15 percent
- Cell phone: 12 percent
- Focusing on something inside the vehicle: 10 percent
- Focusing on something outside the vehicle: 9 percent
- Singing or moving to music: 8 percent
- Grooming: 6 percent
- Reaching for something: 6 percent
To reduce distracted driving among teens, AAA recommends allowing no more than one non-family passenger younger than 20 during the driver’s first six months with a license.
