Teenagers have a lot on their minds, which is not a bad thing, except when it comes to getting behind the wheel. A report released March 25 reveals that six out of ten teen crashes involve driver distraction—400 percent greater than a prior study.
As the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety image below indicates, "distraction" is more than just talking or texting on a cell phone. "You might guess cell phones are the biggest distraction for young drivers, but guess again," reports CBS. "Simply chatting with other people in the car was the most common distraction leading to a crash for teen drivers."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for American teens. "Researchers from the AAA Motor Club examined nearly 6,900 videos from families who had cameras mounted both on their teen drivers, and on the front windshield, as part of an education program," reports CBS," (t)he most comprehensive research ever conducted into crash videos of teen drivers," according to AAA.
“Access to crash videos has allowed us to better understand the moments leading up to a vehicle impact in a way that was previously impossible,” said Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
“This study shows how important it is for states to review their graduated driver licensing and distracted driving laws to ensure they provide as much protection as possible for teens,” continued AAA CEO Bob Darbelnet. “AAA recommends that state laws prohibit cell phone use by teen drivers and restrict passengers to one non-family member for the first six months of driving.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) "previously has estimated that distraction is a factor in only 14 percent of all teen driver crashes," notes AAA. According to NHTSA, in 2012, 3,328 Americans were killed in distracted driving crashes, less than 10 percent of the total of 33,561 highway deaths that year.
Founded in 1947, research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety "is used to create focused, high-impact educational materials for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and road users of all ages."
FULL STORY: Other Passengers, Not Phones, The Biggest Distraction In Crashes For Teen Drivers
Automotive Braking Improvements: Pedestrian and Cyclist Benefits Included
NHTSA's announcement that automatic emergency braking will become standard on almost all new vehicles by 2022 will have dramatic safety implications for drivers and passengers, but will it prevent crashes with pedestrians and cyclists?
Let’s End Traffic Stops
The technology to make traffic enforcement obsolete is becoming available. But in the U.S. willing to use it?
Opinion: Road Safety Data Should Include Close Calls
Even in the absence of lethal collisions, the experience of repeated near-misses can discourage pedestrians from walking and degrade public perception of road safety.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association