A new AAA study used dash cameras to determine all the ways teen drivers are distracted before crashes.
Ocean City Police will be cracking down on distracted driving starting April 1. The crackdown is part of a statewide enforcement program, UDRIVE UTEXT UPAY
, for the month of April.
New research suggests that the problem is even more prevalent among teens than previously feared.
"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," AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety President Peter Kissinger said. "The in-depth analysis provides indisputable evidence that teen drivers are distracted in a much greater percentage of crashes than we previously realized."
Using in-vehicle event recorders, researchers analyzed the six seconds leading up to a moderate-to-severe crash in nearly 1,700 videos of teen drivers. The results showed 58 percent of those drivers were distracted in some way, including 89 percent of road departure crashes and 76 percent of rear-end crashes.
The 58 percent figure is more than four times the 14 percent estimate previously given by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, whose estimates were based on police reports.
The videos showed the most common forms distraction leading to a crash in teen drivers included:
- Interacting with other passengers (15 percent of crashes)
- Cell phone use (12 percent)
- Looking at something inside the vehicle (10 percent)
- Looking at something outside the vehicle (9 percent)
- Singing or moving to music (8 percent)
- Grooming (6 percent)
- Reaching for an object (6 percent)
The research shows that drivers using cell phones — calling, texting and other uses — had their eyes off the road for an average of 4 .1 out of the final six seconds leading up to a crash.
Reaction time for teens following cell phone use was also cut down significantly. Those teens in the study failed to react more than half of the time before the impact, meaning they crashed without taking evasive action, like braking or steering.
AAA CEO Bob Darbelnet said distractions are made worse for teen drivers because of inexperience behind the wheel.
"Young drivers cannot draw upon their previous experience to manage unsafe conditions," Darbelnet said, adding AAA recommends New Jersey review the Graduated Driver License (GDL) policy and distracted driving laws in the wake of the new research to further protect teens behind the wheel.
"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 GDL laws allow new drivers to gain practical experience in a relatively safe environment by restricting their exposure to risky situations. Thirty-three states prevent cell phone use for teens and 18 states have passenger restrictions meeting AAA's recommendations.
In all three stages of New Jersey's GDL program, new drivers are allowed only one additional passenger unless a parent or guardian is present and are banned from using cell phones, hand-held wireless games or any hands-free interactive, wireless communication device.
Having too many kids in the car needs to be a bigger focus when discussing distracted driving. It's not just the texting, but multiple kids in the car that's a big worry. New drivers have a difficult time dealing with that distraction. Young drivers break GDL rules every day. Students under GDL guidelines drive off with full cars after school. We understand the convenience but safety supersedes the need for convenience.
"U Drive. U Text. U Pay" is similar to the "Drive Sober Get Pulled Over" campaign that runs during major holidays to cut down on drunk drivers, and the "Click It or Ticket" to enforce the use of seatbelts. Statistics show these programs dramatically curb the illegal habits.
"U Drive. U Text. U Pay" seeks to enforce anti-texting laws with advertising designed to let motorists know of the campaign and convince them to obey the law. The program was granted about $8.4 million funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation, to help spread awareness of the program and support additional officer patrols.
Ocean City Police Chief, Chad Callahan announced the department will be increasing enforcement efforts through the entire month of April.
Teens have the highest crash rate of any group in the United States. About 963,000 drivers aged 16 to 19 were involved in police-reported crashes in 2013, the most recent year of available data. These crashes resulted in 383,000 injuries and 2,865 deaths.
The full research report and video of teen driver can be found at:
https://www.aaafoundation.org
— News release from the Ocean City Police Department
