AAA REPORT: Teen Drivers 50 Percent More Likely to Crash in First Month of Unsupervised Driving Than After First Year behind the Wheel  

In‐vehicle cameras capture first months of solo driving.  
   
NEWS from AAA South Dakota, Oct. 14, 2011 —  According  to  a  new  study  from  the  AAA  Foundation  for  Traffic  Safety,  teen  drivers  are  approximately  50  percent  more  likely  to  crash  in  the  first  month  of  driving  than  they  are  after  a  full  year  of  experience  driving  on  their  own,  and  are  nearly  twice  as  likely  to  crash  as  they  are  after  two  full  years  of  experience.    

Analyzing  the  crashes  of  new  drivers  in  North  Carolina,  researchers  found  that  three  common  mistakes — failure  to  reduce  speed,  inattention,  and  failure  to  yield  –  accounted  for  57  percent  of  all  crashes  in  which  teens  were  at  least  partially  responsible  during  their  first  month  of  licensed  driving. The release of the Foundation’s study comes as the nation prepares to observe Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 16-22.

When  researchers  looked  at  specific  types  of  crashes  in  relation  to  how  long  the  driver  had  been  licensed,  they  found  that  some  types  of  crashes  occurred  at  relatively  high  rates  at  first  and  declined  particularly  quickly  with  experience. 

For  example,  crashes  involving  left  turns  were  common  during  the  first  few  months  of  driving  but  declined  almost  immediately. The  high  initial  rate  and  subsequent  steep  declines  in  certain  types  of  crashes  appeared  to  reflect  teens’  initial  inexperience followed  by  rapid  learning. Crash  types  that  decline  more  slowly  appear  to  result  not  from  lack  of  understanding,  but  from  failure  to  master  certain  driving  skills.  

“We  know  that  young  drivers’  crash  rates  decrease  quickly  as  they  gain  experience. What  our  new  study  tells  us  is  that  there  are  a  few  specific  abilities  that  we  could  do  a  better  job  of  helping  teens  develop  before  they  begin  driving  independently,”  said  AAA  Foundation  President  and  CEO  Peter  Kissinger.   

A  related  AAA  Foundation  study  used  in‐vehicle  cameras  to  monitor  teens  when  they  were  learning  to  drive  with  parents,  followed  by  the  first  6  months  of  licensed  driving  without  their  parents  in  the  car. The  research  found  that  while  teens  had  their  learner’s  permits,  routine  trips  on  familiar  roads  under  relatively  easy  driving  conditions  accounted  for  the  bulk  of  the  time  spent  behind  the  wheel.   
The  study  also  illustrated  changes  in  teen  behavior  when  a  parent  is  no  longer  in  the  car. While  the  vast  majority  of  driving  caught  on  camera  was  uneventful,  the  study  did  capture  a  number  of  close  calls  due  to  simple  mistakes  likely  attributable  to  inexperience,  along  with  a  few  instances  of  texting  behind  the  wheel,  horseplay  with  passengers,  running  red  lights,  and  other  potentially  distracting  or  dangerous  behaviors.   

“This  research  serves  as  a  great  reminder  for  parents  to  stay  involved  in  the  learning  process  even  after  the  law  allows  teens  t  drive  without  a  parent  in  the  car,”  Kissinger said. “Continued  parent  engagement  can  help  teens  gain  needed  driving  experience  and  shape  their  habits  for  a  lifetime  of  safe  driving.”   

These  studies  affirm  AAA’s  long‐standing  efforts  to  help  parents  prepare  their  teens  for  independent  driving  by  practicing  under  a  broad  range  of  progressively more  challenging  conditions. Among  the  steps  parents  can  take  to  improve  teens’  safety  as  they  start  driving  on  their  own,  AAA  suggests:  

• Practice,  practice,  practice:  Once  teens  have  their  actual  license,  continue  to  practice  together  to  ensure  that  basic  skills  are  mastered  and  to  introduce  varied  driving  conditions  (snow,  heavy  traffic,  rural  roads)  with  an  experienced  driver  in  the  passenger  seat.   

• Keep  passengers  out:  Teen  drivers’  crash  risks  multiply  with  teenage  passengers in  the  vehicle. Set limits and enforce them consistently.  

• Limit night driving:  Reduced visibility makes night driving riskier for drivers of all ages. For inexperienced teens, it’s even harder.   Allow  new  teen  drivers  to  drive at  night  only  if  truly  necessary  or  to  practice  with  a  parent.    

• Keep  setting  rules:  Parents  can  –  and  should  –  set  and  enforce  rules  above  and  beyond  South Dakota state  laws.  In  addition  to  night  and  passenger  limits,  set  rules  for  inclement  weather,  highways,  cities,  or  other  driving  conditions  in  which  a  teen  has  not  gained  enough  experience.  

Parents should also consider teaching their teens how to drive with the assistance
of AAA’s parent-taught driver’s education course, Take the Wheel. The kit gives parents every tool they need to help their teen learn to drive and reduce risk on the road. The low-cost kit is available at www.AAATakeTheWheelSD.com and at AAA South Dakota offices in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Pierre and Aberdeen. Teens who complete the course qualify for up to a 25 percent discount on auto insurance through AAA Insurance Co.  

For  more  information  about  the  teen  driving  study  or  to  see  the  full  reports, visit www.AAAFoundation.org. And for additional information on ways to help your teen survive driving, visit www.TeenDriving.AAA.com, the AAA “Keys2Drive” website designed to make teens safer drivers. Parents will find a parent‐teen driving agreement on this website that can be a tremendous help.