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Every day in the United States more than 8 people are killed and 1,161 are injured in crashes which involve distracted drivers, reports Distraction.gov. The highest proportion of these distraction-related fatal crashes involves young, inexperienced drivers under 20 years old. The distractions for young drivers include talking or texting on cell phones, grooming, eating or drinking, changing radio stations or speaking with passengers.

What does research show about teen drivers with passengers?

Experts acknowledge that distractions from texting and cell phone use get considerable attention, but peer passengers increase the crash risk for teen drivers. In 2015 the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety conducted a comprehensive research study.  The researchers analyzed the six seconds leading up to a crash in nearly 1,700 videos of teen drivers taken from in-vehicle recorders. The results showed that distraction was a factor in 58 percent of all crash studies. The most common forms of distraction included: 

• Interacting with one or more passengers:  15 percent of crashes
• Cell phone use: 12 percent of crashes
• Looking at something in the vehicle: 10 percent of crashes
• Looking at something outside the vehicle: 9 percent of crashes
• Singing/dancing to music: 8 percent of crashes
• Grooming: 6 percent of crashes
• Reaching for an object: 6 percent of crashes
• All others combined: 34 percent of crashes 

An earlier study in 2013 conducted by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance, analyzed a nationally-representative sample of 677 teen drivers involved in serious crashes. Researchers found that both male and female teen drivers with peer passengers were more likely to be distracted than teen drivers without passengers. Of those carrying passengers who said they were distracted, 71 percent of males and 47 percent of females said they were distracted directly by the actions of their passengers. 

A University of North Carolina study found that teen drivers were six times more likely to have a serious driving incident, such as a collision, near collision, or loss of control, when there was a loud conversation in the car, compared to when there were no loud conversations. 

In a news article in the Des Moines Register in April 2015 it was reported that for every teen passenger added into the car there was an increase in the chances of a crash exponentially; one teen passenger doubles, two passengers triples, and so on.  A recent teen fatality study by the University of Iowa showed that teen passenger distraction was even more prevalent than cell phone distraction. 

What can be done to prevent distracted driving among teen drivers? 

Many advocate for the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program which exists in all states. GDL provides longer practice periods, limits driving under high risk conditions for newly licensed drivers, and requires greater participation of parents in their teens' learning-to-drive. Research suggests that the more comprehensive GDL programs are associated with reductions of 38 percent and 40 percent in fatal and injury crashes, respectively, among 16-year-old drivers. 

Many states have passed passenger limit laws. These laws restrict the number of passengers in vehicles driven by teen drivers during the first six months after receiving temporary licenses. 

Florida does have laws for young drivers, but not specifically covering the number of passengers a teen driver may carry. The state encourages families to set their own limitations and suggests that for 16 and 17-year-old drivers, they be limited to carrying no more than one passenger.

NPR (National Public Radio) reported that educating teens to focus on the road, to keep distractions out of the vehicle, to keep passengers to a minimum and require passengers to buckle up and not distract teen drivers can go a long way toward reducing teen driver-distraction fatalities.

“Accidents involving teens, and teen distractions, can be avoided. However, should you or a loved one be injured as the result of an accident, contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.,” said Fort Myers Vehicle Accident Attorney, Randall Spivey.

Fort Myers Personal Injury Attorney,Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just 1 percent of Florida attorneys. He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida. For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com. Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information. You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.