Crashes of novice teenage drivers: Characteristics and contributing factors

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Abstract

Objective: The initial months of licensure are especially hazardous for teenagers. Factors leading to crashes of novice 16-year-old drivers were identified. Method: Sixteen year-olds in Connecticut who were involved in nonfatal crashes during the first 8 months of licensure were interviewed, and police crash reports were examined. Crash types and contributing factors were identified. Results: Three-fourths of the crash-involved teenagers were at fault. Their crashes resulted primarily when they ran off the road, rear ended another vehicle, or collided with another vehicle that had the right-of-way. Three factors contributed about equally to their crashes: failing to detect another vehicle or traffic control, speeding, and losing control of the vehicle or sliding. Slippery roads also were an important factor. Most failures to detect another vehicle or traffic control involved not looking thoroughly, distraction, or inattention. Discussion: Based on the findings, potential countermeasures for reducing crashes of novice teenage drivers include adequate practice driving, in-vehicle monitoring devices, and electronic stability control. Impact on industry: More than half of the nonfatal, at-fault crashes of newly licensed 16-year-old drivers involved more than one contributing factor including speed, loss of control, and slippery roads. Efforts to reduce teenage crashes should focus on these factors.

Introduction

Teenage drivers have elevated crash rates compared with older, more experienced drivers. During 2000–01 the rate of crashes per million miles traveled for drivers ages 16–19 was four times the rate for drivers 20 and older combined. Among teenage drivers, crash rates were highest for 16 year-olds — 26 crashes per million miles traveled compared with 21, 15, and 14 per million for 17, 18, and 19 year-olds, respectively (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety [IIHS], 2006a). The elevated crash rate for young novice drivers is attributable to both their youthful age (manifested, for example, in a propensity for risk taking) and driving inexperience (Mayhew, Simpson, & Pak, 2003).

Extensive research has focused on identifying the high-risk situations that lead to novice drivers’ crashes, especially fatal crashes. Driving at night and carrying teenage passengers elevate the risk of both injury crashes (Rice, Peek–Asa, & Kraus, 2003) and fatal crashes (Chen et al., 2000, Williams et al., 2005, Ulmer et al., 1997), especially among 16-year-old drivers. Traveling faster than posted speed limits or driving too fast for conditions also contribute to fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers (Gonzales et al., 2005, Williams et al., 1998, Williams et al., 1995). Compared with crashes involving older drivers, 16-year-old drivers are more likely to be involved in single-vehicle fatal crashes (Gonzales et al., 2005, Williams et al., 1995, Ulmer et al., 1997), and fatal crashes of 16–19-year-old drivers occur more frequently on wet or slippery roads (Marmor & Marmor, 2006). However, there has been little research focusing on novice drivers’ nonfatal crashes. McKnight and McKnight (2003) found that in nonfatal police-reported crashes, 16–17-year-old drivers were more likely than 18–19-year-old drivers not to scan an intersection adequately prior to making a left turn, but less likely to follow too closely or drive under the influence of alcohol. Laapotti et al. (2006) found that slippery road conditions were overrepresented in young male drivers’ self-reported crashes of all severities relative to fatal crashes reported to insurers.

Graduated driver licensing is designed to address some of the excess risk of novice drivers by phasing in higher-risk driving privileges as beginners gain more experience. Although every U.S. state and the District of Columbia have some elements of graduated licensing, only 28 states plus the District of Columbia have laws rated good by IIHS (2006b). In states that have adopted graduated licensing laws, crashes among 16-year-old drivers have been reduced by 10–30% (Fohr et al., 2005, Foss et al., 2001, Governor's Highway Safety Office, 2001, Rice et al., 2004, Shope and Molnar, 2004, Ulmer et al., 2000, Zwicker et al., 2006).

Teenagers’ risk of crashing is particularly high immediately after licensure. In a study of self-reported crashes during teenagers’ first year of licensing, McCartt, Shabanova, and Leaf (2003) found that the rate of crashes per mile traveled was highest for the first month of licensure and declined substantially during subsequent months — from 2.3 to 1.1 to less than 0.5 crashes per 10,000 miles traveled for months 1, 2, and 11, respectively. Similarly, Mayhew et al. (2003) examined novice drivers’ crashes per licensed driver and found that crash rates were highest for the first month after licensure, dropped dramatically and consistently through the 7th month, then declined more gradually through the 24th month. Driving inexperience and immaturity presumably underlie many of the crashes of novice teenage drivers, but little is known about the circumstances leading to the crashes. The present study was conducted to explore this issue. Nonfatal police-reported crashes involving newly licensed 16 year-olds in Connecticut were examined to identify the circumstances of the crashes and the factors that led to the crashes. Crashes in which teenage drivers were at fault were the primary focus.

Section snippets

Methods

Connecticut's driver licensing laws during the study period are summarized in Table 1. A learner's permit can be obtained at age 16 and a driver's license at either 16 years, 4 months if driver education through a commercial or secondary school is completed, or 16 years, 6 months with home-based driver education. Focusing on crashes of 16-year-old drivers ensured that crashes occurred within 8 months of licensure.

All crashes involving fatalities or injuries, and crashes occurring on public

Results

Police crash reports were obtained for 893 nonfatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers and occurring between March 2005 and February 2006 (Table 4). Phone numbers were obtained for 715 teenage drivers (80%), of whom 260 drivers (38%) were interviewed, 175 drivers (24%) declined to participate, and 278 drivers (39%) could not be reached for initial contact by phone within 10 weeks of the crash. There was no significant difference in participation rates between at-fault and not-at-fault

Discussion

The present study adds to limited research on nonfatal crashes of newly licensed teenagers. Three-fourths of the teenagers involved in crashes were at fault, and 70% of the collisions of at-fault drivers were ran-off-road or rear-end crashes. There was a significant difference in crash type between interviewed and noninterviewed drivers. However, it is unlikely this biased the results because the three main crash types differed by 6% or less.

About 60% of at-fault drivers’ crashes involved more

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Keli A. Braitman is a Senior Research Scientist with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Arlington, VA; she holds a Ph.D. in Applied Experimental Psychology from Southern Illinois University. Dr. Braitman's areas of research and interest in highway safety include teen drivers, older drivers, and distracted driving.

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    Keli A. Braitman is a Senior Research Scientist with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Arlington, VA; she holds a Ph.D. in Applied Experimental Psychology from Southern Illinois University. Dr. Braitman's areas of research and interest in highway safety include teen drivers, older drivers, and distracted driving.

    Bevan B. Kirley is a Research Scientist with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Arlington, VA; she holds a M.S. in Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Her areas of research include teen drivers, child restraints, and large truck safety.

    Anne T. McCartt is Senior Vice President with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Arlington, VA; she holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University at Albany, State University of New York. Dr. McCartt has published papers and technical reports on teen drivers, occupant restraints, alcohol-impaired driving, distracted driving, large truck safety, and various other highway safety areas.

    Neil K. Chaudhary is a Vice President at Preusser Research Group, Inc. in Trumbull, CT; he holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from The Graduate Center of The City University of New York. Dr. Chaudhary's current research is in the area of traffic safety.

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