FACTORS RELATED TO YOUTHFUL DRIVERS ALABAMA COURSE OF STUDY #13 Analyze data regarding inexperienced drivers and traffic collisions.

YOUTHFUL DRIVERS There is no question that inexperience is a major factor in the death and injury of hundreds of youthful drivers in Alabama each year. New drivers need a minimum of 200 hours of behind the wheel time before they are competent to drive in normal traffic.

Youthful Drivers Personality characteristics of youthful drivers: -Risk taking propensity, -Aggressiveness -Susceptibility to peer pressure -Tolerance of deviance

Peer Influence Young driver’s high risk levels are a product of both who they are and of their environment. Social norms, including peer pressure and the emphasis placed on rebellion in youth culture, can affect driving style, as do the examples provided by role models.

Peer Influence Good drivers are made, not born. The novice driver has to think about these actions, increasing overall mental workload and possibly distracting attention from the road. Peer influence is one of the leading factors in many accidents that young drivers are involved in. Drinking and driving, showing off in front of others and driving reckless are all real challenges for young drivers.

Peer Influence Research indicates that the parts of the brain responsible for inhibiting impulses and weighing the consequences of decisions may be under development until well after the teenage years.

Peer Influence Young people are at an age where they are testing boundaries and asserting their independence, as well as typically enjoying an intense social life. While peer influence may not affect all of our young drivers, peer influence is all around them. The phrase “everyone does it” is still a common mantra.

Peer Influence Young drivers are active at night and on weekends, often carrying passengers of a similar age. They may be inclined to show off, be susceptible to peer pressure and drive too fast.

Peer Influence Peer influence can cause many young drivers to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while driving. Being “on their own” adds to the thrill of many young drivers.

Peer Influence  Young men are generally more inclined toward risk taking, sensation-seeking, speeding, and anti- social behavior than young women.  They are also more susceptible to the influence of their friends.

Peer Influence Young drivers have high numbers of crashes when driving at night and on weekends, and when carrying young passengers. Many crashes are the result of speeding and while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Failure to use seatbelts is also a key factor in death and injuries.

Speed and Traffic Fatalities  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that speeding contributes to 33 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S.  In 2008 the Department of Motor Vehicles reports that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the U.S.

Speed and Traffic Fatalities Youth and Road Safety, says that nearly 400,000 young people under the age of 25 are killed in road traffic crashes every year. Millions more are injured or disabled.

Speed and Traffic Fatalities  Teenage drivers account for 12.6 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes.  The fatal crash rates among 16- to 19-year-olds is four times that of older drivers.  Risk is the highest at age 16, when the fatal crash rate is 40 percent higher than for 18 year-olds and 30 percent higher than for 19-year-olds.

Speeding and Traffic Fatalities  17 percent of teens said speeding is fun.  55 percent of teens said they exceed the speed limit by more than 10 mph.  26 percent of self- identified "aggressive" teen drivers reported speeding by more than 20 mph over the limit.  69 percent of teens who speed said they do so because they want to keep up with traffic.  DON’T  BE  A  STATISTIC

Speeding and Traffic Fatalities  In a survey of teenage drivers, Allstate Insurance found that 48% of girls said they were likely to drive 10 mph over the speed limit.  By comparison, 36% of the boys admitted speeding.  Of the girls, 16% characterized their own driving as aggressive, up from 9% in  And just more than half of the girls said they were likely to drive while talking on a phone or texting, compared with 38% of the boys.

Speeding and Traffic Fatalities  There are tougher laws being passed every year. The Alabama Graduated Driver License Program is designed to cut down on accidents, injuries and death in youthful drivers.  Don’t throw away money by speeding or breaking other laws.

Speeding and Traffic Fatalities There are ways to prevent teen speeding: Parents can monitor more closely on where their children go and when they leave. Parents and children can sign contracts concerning good driving behavior with clean driving records earning rewards.

Distractions To drive safely, a driver needs to give priority attention to the driving task. Distractions like cell phones, eating, socializing, loud music, putting on make-up can all take your mind off the driving task.

DISTRACTIONS When asked to list the top five driving distractions, both teens and parents reported the same distractions, all of which they said they had done within the last 30 days:  Changing their music (79 percent)  Exceeding the speed limit (61 percent)  Driving without both hands on the steering wheel (61 percent)  Talking on the phone or texting (51 percent)  Eating (45 percent)

Distractions  The cell phone has become a significant highway safety concern.  Over 110 million people use cell phones while driving.  Laws are now being passed to prohibit the use of cell phones while operating a vehicle.  Remember the GDL law.

Distractions Based on a 1996 NHTSA study, the agency estimates that driver distraction in all of its various forms probably contributes to between 20-30% of all accidents. Exact statistics may never be know due to the difficulty of determining driver’s actions prior to the crash.

Distractions  56 percent of teens said they make and answer phone calls while driving.  Talking on a cell phone can double the likelihood of an accident and can slow a young driver’s reaction time to that of a 70-year- old.  13 percent of teens said they send and respond to text messages while driving.

Distractions  The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 drivers.  An estimated 21% of injury crashes were reported to have involved distracted driving.

Distractions  Teens are divided on whether they believe they drive differently with their friends than with their parents. Just over 40 percent said they don’t drive differently with their friends and nearly 40 percent said they do.  Parents are also divided on whether they believe teens drive differently with their friends. More than 30 percent said they believe they do drive differently and nearly 30 percent said they don’t (38 percent weren’t sure).  When all respondents were asked if teens are often distracted drivers, 90 percent said they somewhat or strongly agree

Distractions Handheld Cell Phones: 8 states (Calif., Conn., Del., Md., N.J., N.Y., Ore. and Wash.), D.C. and the Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving. Many cities in Alabama have banned handheld cell phones and texting.