Put the phones away! US teens driving distracted

A young woman uses her smartphone to plot her directions while driving
Credit: Tima Miroshnichenko via Pexels

US high school students estimate they spend an average of 21% of each trip looking at their mobile phones while driving, according to a new study which surveyed more than 1,000 teenagers.

The teens estimated that 26% of these glances toward a phone lasted for 2 seconds or longer – about the time it takes to read or send a text message.

While these responses are likely are only an approximation of actual distraction, the authors of the study point to research which found that glances greater than 2s were associated with a 5.5 times greater likelihood of a crash.

“Distracted driving is a serious public health threat and particularly concerning among young drivers,” says lead author Dr Rebecca Robbins of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, USA. “Driving distracted doesn’t just put the driver at risk of injury or death, it puts everyone else on the road in danger of an accident.”

The researchers first conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 students to identify the beliefs, intentions, and behaviours influencing teenagers in the US to engage in distracted driving. The teenagers were recruited from high schools in the northeastern and western US in suburban and rural areas, rather than urban areas where they may be less likely to drive.

The responses were used to design a questionnaire which was completed by 1,126 geographically representative participants across the US.

The most common reasons for the distracted driving were entertainment (65%), texting (40%) and navigation (30%).

Responses indicate that many young drivers believe that distraction at the wheel is associated with negative outcomes, that their parents and friends think they should not drive distracted, and that their peers do so.

Newsletter

They also suggest that most teen drivers have a “strong belief” that they themselves can withstand the pressure to drive distracted.

“The findings from the study give us insights into the perceptions and beliefs from teenage drivers, which can be used to help create effective interventions to prevent distracted driving,” says Robbins.

“We found that, while young drivers recognise the advantages of using smartphone features like GPS, they also understand the heightened risk of accidents associated with distracted driving.

 “Encouraging the use of ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode, keeping phones out of reach and ensuring teens get adequate sleep are effective strategies to mitigate this dangerous behaviour.”                    

The researchers caution that the small sample size used for the semi-structured interviews “may not accurately represent the broader high school-aged driving population” and that “results may need to be replicated among urban adolescent drivers to ensure broader applicability”.

The study is published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention.



Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

App Store revenue and downloads increased, but nor for gaming

Bank of America has released its latest App Store performance data, and observed that while revenue is growing faster than downloads, users are shifting how they spend their money. According to the report (via Investing.com), which cited SensorTower data, global App Store revenue rose 12% year over year in June, while downloads were up just

RV pressure, shifts in market dynamics, and EV momentum

03 July 2025 Read next The regions and technology pushing public EV charging forward 02 July 2025 Read next Monthly Market Update: Will European residual values continue to fall in 2025? 01 July 2025 Read next How is used-vehicle retail changing? 30 June 2025 Europe’s used-car market is under pressure from numerous shifting dynamics. What

Tesla Sales Plummet 60% In Germany As EV Market Grows In June 2025

In June 2025, Tesla’s sales in Germany dropped by a staggering 60%, with only 1,860 vehicles sold compared to the previous year, according to the German road traffic agency KBA. Despite a robust 8.6% rise in overall battery electric vehicle (EV) registrations, Tesla’s decline highlights mounting challenges for the U.S. automaker in Europe’s largest car

Samsung Galaxy G Fold Tri-fold Foldable Image Leaks

More details have emerged concerning Samsung’s so-called tri-fold foldable phone. This thing is almost certainly real, and quite possibly imminent. Earlier this week we wrote that Samsung’s rumoured tri-fold phone could steal the show at Samsung Unpacked. Spec leaks suggest that Samsung is working on a new foldable with three hinges for a wider display,

Samsung Galaxy Phone Online Exclusive Colours Causing Repair Issues

Fresh anecdotal reports suggest that opting for Samsung’s online exclusive colours for the Galaxy S25 and other phones might not be in your best interests. For a number of years now, Samsung has offered an enticing reason to order its latest phones direct from its website: exclusive colour options. The likes of the Titanium Jadegreen

Wireless Battery Management Systems for EV Market to Reach USD

LOS ANGELES, United States: QY Research has recently published a research report titled, “Wireless Battery Management Systems for EV – Market Insights, Industry Share, Sales Projections, and Demand Outlook 2024-2030” assessing various factors impacting its trajectory. The global Wireless Battery Management Systems for EV market is carefully researched in the report while largely concentrating on

Cobalt Market Set to Surge Amid EV Boom and Supply Chain Shifts –

Cobalt Market The Global Cobalt Market Size reached US$ 17.12 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach US$ 29.86 billion by 2032, growing with a CAGR of 7.20% during the forecast period 2025-2032. The latest Cobalt market research report from DataM Intelligence delivers a comprehensive analysis of the global Cobalt Market landscape, highlighting emerging

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x