Teen Driving Survey Reveals Some Alarming Notes

Teens want to speak out on behalf of safe driving to prevent car crashes - the No. 1 killer of teens - yet they don't perceive the deadliest driving choices to be unsafe, a recent survey suggests.

A survey of drivers ages 16 and 17, conducted on behalf of National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) and The Allstate Foundation, indicates alarming attitudes among newly licensed drivers. While four out of five teens (86 percent) claim they would drive more safely at the request of a teen passenger, few teens would curtail the deadliest driving behaviors, suggesting teens misperceive the associated risks:

• Only one-third of teens say they would stop text messaging while driving (33 percent) or stop talking on their mobile phone while driving (35 percent) at the request of a teen passenger.
• Only about half of teens say they would keep their eyes on the road (49 percent) or stop speeding (46 percent) at the request of a passenger.
• Just a quarter of teens say they would fasten their seatbelt (24 percent) at the request of a teen passenger.

Risky Summer Driving Behaviors

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over the past decade, seven of the top 10 deadliest days for youth traffic-related deaths historically fall between Memorial Day and Labor Day. According to the survey administered on behalf of NOYS and The Allstate Foundation, teens polled admit they will engage in increased risky behaviors that can result in deadly consequences more often during the summer, further supporting the critical need for increased traffic safety awareness among teen drivers during these months of increased risks.

• Two-thirds of teens (65 percent) will drive more often in the summer.
• Approximately half of teens will have teen passengers present and drive in the dark more frequently.
• Some teens say they will speed (20 percent), talk on a mobile phone (16 percent) or text message while driving (9 percent) more often during the summer.

"Every unsafe driving choice has the potential to be deadly," said Sandy Spavone, executive director of NOYS. "Teens are on the road a lot more during the summer, often in vehicles filled with friends and distractions. Teens must help their peers understand that each unsafe choice- one cell phone call, an unbuckled seatbelt, or additional passengers- can mean the difference between life and death."

About the Survey

The survey polled 610 teen drivers, ages 16 and 17, across the United States from March 18 - 25, 2008, with a margin of error of +/-4 percentage points and a 95 percent confidence level.