Distraction Is a Factor in 60% of Crashes Involving Teen Drivers

Students across Oklahoma are soon going to be out of school and spending more time on the roads, and this means enhanced dangers for everyone who shares the road with them. Research released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that teen motorists are more likely to drive distracted than older motorists. They also face an elevated chance of involvement in a fatal crash.

Per the Tahlequah Daily Press, driver distraction contributes to 60% of all crashes involving teen drivers. Safety advocates expect that this number is going to continue to rise in future years.

Statistics on Teen Driver Distraction

Statistics show that teen motorists are three times as likely as older drivers to find themselves involved in a fatal car crash. In 2014 alone, 2,270 teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 died in crashes on the nation’s roads. Another 221,313 suffered injuries in car wrecks that were severe enough to warrant visits to the emergency room.

Sources of Teen Driver Distraction

While cellphone use has long been a common cause of distraction not only among teens but among all motorists, teen drivers often find themselves distracted by other sources, too. Teen passengers are a major source of teen driver distraction, with 15% of teen-involved crashes taking place when a teen driver interacts with other teenagers in the vehicle. Even the car stereo and in-vehicle navigation systems have the potential to distract teen motorists away from the vehicle’s controls.

Parents of teen drivers may be able to help lower their teens’ chances of involvement in a crash by modeling good driving behaviors and limiting who they may have in their vehicles.