Scary survey results: teenage drivers look at their mobile phones often
A new study reveals that US teenage drivers spend more than a fifth of their mobile phone-distracted driving time, and many gazes have lasted long enough to significantly increase the risk of crashes. The survey, published in the Journal Traffic Wurne Prevention and released Thursday, found that on average teens reported looking at their mobile phones during 21.1% of all driving trips. More than a quarter of these distractions lasted more than two seconds. This is a time that is widely perceived as dangerous at highway speeds.
Most distractions tied to entertainment, not urgent
The main reason teens said they reached for their phones behind the wheels was because of the entertainment cited by 65% of respondents. Texting (40%) and navigation (30%) were also common. Researchers emphasized that these distractions are not usually urgent, but rather habitual or social.
Teens know the risks
The study includes survey responses from 1,126 teen drivers across all four US regions, and includes in-depth interviews with a small group of high school students. Most participants recognized that distracted driving was unsafe and believed that parents and peers were unhappy with their behavior.
However, many teenagers assumed that their friends were doing it anyway, referring to the disconnect between personal values and perceived social norms.
Teens think they can resist distraction
Interestingly, most teenagers expressed confidence in their ability to resist distraction. Researchers suggest that beliefs can make it difficult to change behavior unless future safety campaigns specifically target these attitudes.
Dr. Rebecca Robbins, a leading author of the study, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said the intervention should aim to change social norms, while still aimed at enabling a “out-of-disturbance” mode and highlighting practical steps such as physically separating the driver from the device.
“Distracted driving is a serious public health threat, and is a concern, especially among younger drivers,” Robbins said. “Driving distractedly puts the driver at risk of injury or death, as well as putting everyone else on the road at risk of an accident.”
What does this mean for parents and educators?
Researchers say their findings can help guide educators and parents in developing more persuasive messages about the risks of distracted driving. One recommendation is that adults need to counter the beliefs of teens that phone use is productive or harmless while driving.
Although the qualitative components of this study were limited by a small and non-city sample, the authors believe that the 38-question survey they developed could be used more widely to assess the effectiveness of beliefs, actions and future safety efforts.