TEEN DRIVERS AND PASSENGER
DISTRACTION
Nowadays, they have been a series of teen crashes. These
crashes have been caused mostly by distracted driving, which involves the driver participating in an activity unrelated to the driving process. Some of these distractions involve cell phones, but most are
due to the actions of passengers.
Passenger distraction has cost the lives of many teenagers, and the death toll keeps rising. To curb this menace, the Graduate Driving
License Program was created. This program ensures teen drivers have
restrictions on the number of passengers in the car and require teen drivers to
carry a family member.
According to research, compared to male teens driving alone,
those with peer passengers were more likely to have been driving aggressively right
before they crashed. In a study, 198 teen drivers were examined, and it was
found that teens who are most likely to drive with multiple passengers consider
themselves thrill seekers and view their parents as not being strict with rules
or monitoring of their whereabouts, and also lack understanding of the risks involved
in driving in general. However, this study established that these teens were in
the minority. The study showed that teens generally understand the risks of driving, have a low frequency of driving with passengers, and
believe that their parents discipline them well.
Another study analyzed a national sample of 667 teen drivers
involved in car accidents to compare the possibilities of driver distraction
and risk-taking behavior before the crash when teens drive with passengers.
The study shows that male and female teen drivers with passengers are more likely to be distracted before a crash than teens who drive alone.
According to the study, 71 percent of males and 41 percent of females were
directly distracted by the actions of their passengers. It is also known that with
peer passengers in a car, teen drivers are more likely to perform illegal maneuvers
and two times more likely to act aggressively just before a crash.
The role of parents in supporting safe driving
Parents play a vital role in ensuring teen drivers are safe
while driving. Since a family is the smallest unit of society, and parents are
the first point of contact for teenagers, it is recommended that parents set out
rules of no non-family member passenger for the first six months of driving and
only one non-family member for the second 6 months. Parents must stay involved with teenagers beyond their Learner's Permit stage until they
have gained adequate experience in driving. With the Graduate Licensing Laws that
restrict the number of passengers for the first year of driving and the help of
parents by disciplining their teenagers, the risk of teen crashes will be greatly
reduced.
Much attention is being paid to teen drivers, but a huge part
of the problem is the passengers. Although it is advised to allow only family
members during the first year after getting a permit, even siblings can be a distraction.
Therefore, passengers need to understand the risk involved and
act accordingly when in a teen driver's car. Here are tips for passengers with
teen drivers:
- As a passenger, you should
pay attention to the road
- Be alert for road hazards.
- Put all electronics away during the ride.
