Could saving the lives of more teen drivers be as simple as one, two, three?
Count on it, safety experts say.
While we typically think of speeding, reckless behavior or drinking and driving as major factors in teen accidents, researchers say thatís often not the case. After studying a representative sample of 800 crashes involving young drivers, they found that about two-thirds resulted from three general causes:
Scanning mistakes: These occur when teens fail to check the road ahead and monitor mirrors for potential risks around their vehicles. It includes misjudging the speed of an oncoming car while turning left.
Misjudging road conditions: A young driver fails to slow for a curve or slippery pavement and loses control.
Driver distraction: Although cell phones and texting are frequently cited in this category, the most frequent distractions come from passengers.
Graduated licensing programs have reduced the teen fatality rate, which has dropped by about 30 percent nationwide in recent years. The new research, drawn from a study by the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at Childrenís Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance, offers a signpost for building on those reductions. The key, according to Dr. Dennis Durbin, co-author of the report published in the journal Accident and Analysis and Prevention and reported in the New York Times, is to intentionally teach young drivers habits that address those three critical areas. Over time, mature drivers learn to assimilate whatís happening down the road, on sidewalks and even in the rearview mirror. They adjust to road conditions and focus on driving, even amid distractions. Novice drivers lack that awareness.
ěTeenagers keep a tunnel vision right off the hood of the car,î Durbin said. ěThey think all they need to do is look straight ahead.î
Parents and driving instructors can help expand that vision by practicing ěnarrative driving,î in which the adult driver gives a running account of what he or she is doing and thinking behind the wheel ó a sort of highway play-by-play. While a veteran driver may appear to be casually steering and looking ahead, in reality he or she is scanning the road, checking mirrors, noting potential hazards (such as tailgaters or lane weavers) and making driving adjustments based on that information.
While thereís no substitute for behind-the-wheel experience, the study suggests it need not take years for teens to improve their driving habits in these three crucial areas. Accelerating that learning curve can prevent crashes and save lives.