It has long been known that cellphones, passengers, and other distractions contribute to many crashes involving teen drivers.
But 2 studies by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that the problem may be bigger than once thought. In 1 study, after carefully analyzing more than 2,200 videos recorded by in-vehicle cameras, AAA determined that distractions contributed to nearly 6 in 10 teen crashes—4 times what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration previously estimated.
In a separate study of crash rate data, AAA determined that drivers age 16–17 are 3 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than adult drivers. As distraction is a leading cause of teen crashes, understanding the distractions teens face and how they can avoid them is key to keep them safe on the road.