Bethesda, MD – Newly licensed teen drivers have a higher crash rate than their parents and are more likely to engage in risky driving maneuvers, according to researchers from the National Institutes of Health.
Using recording systems installed in the study participants’ vehicles, researchers analyzed the crashes and near crashes of 42 teen drivers during the first 18 months of licensing and compared the results to their parents’ driving records, according to the study abstract.
During the study period, teens were involved in 279 crashes or near crashes, while their parents had 34 similar incidents, the report stated. Teens also were more likely to engage in risky maneuvers such as rapid acceleration, braking late and swerving abruptly.
The study was published online Oct. 20 in the American Journal of Public Health.
