• Know the Risks
    • Teen Driver Risks
      • Distracted Driving
      • Nighttime and Drowsy Driving
      • Speeding and Street Racing
      • Low Safety Belt Use
      • Impaired Driving
    • Teen Passenger Risks
      • Keep the Driver Distraction Free
      • Help Keep the Driver Alert and Awake at Night
      • Know Why Speeding is Dangerous and Reckless
      • Always Wear a Seat Belt
      • Steer Clear of Impaired Drivers
    • Respect the Rig Truck and Bus Safety
      • Big Rig Events
      • Order a Respect the Rig Community Toolkit
    • Rail Safety
    • Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety
    • External Links and Resources
  • Be Involved
    • Learn How to Start TDS
    • Sign Up Your School / Request Virtual Access
    • Event / Activity Form for All-Star Points
    • Order a Respect the Rig Community Toolkit
    • @TeensDriverSeat Takeover
    • Be a Teen Influencer
    • Apply to Be a Teen Advisory Board Member
    • Take the Pledge to Keep Our Drive Alive
    • Find Your Regional Representative
  • Take Action
    • Get Activity Ideas
    • Download Activity Items, Posters, and More
    • See and Share Videos
    • Ride With Me @ Home – Parent Information
    • #BeTheChange with Tyson Dever
    • Find Speakers and Educators
    • Teens in the Driver Seat in Georgia
      • California & Georgia Pedal Kart, Trike, and Drunk Mat Resources
    • Teens in the Driver Seat in Colorado
  • Events & Contests
    • TDS 2021-22 Calendar
    • All-Star Reward Program
      • TDS All-Star Rules
      • Event / Activity Form for All-Star Points
    • Big Rig Events
    • Driving the Message Contest
    • Extra Mile Senior Activity
    • Ride With Me Junior High
    • Safe Driving Summit, 2021
    • Social Media Teen Influencer
    • SponStar Awards
      • Teacher Discounts
    • Teen Advisory Board
      • Teen Advisory Board Application
    • Teen of the Month
    • Track-A-Thon Contest
    • Zero Hero
  • You in the Driver Seat App
    • April Contest for App Users
  • About Us
    • News
    • Contact Us
    • Where We Are and Your Regional Representative
    • Partners
    • Private Partnering Opportunities
    • Donate
    • History and Recognition
    • 15 Year Report Card
  • Login

Teens in the Driver Seat

A peer-to-peer safe driving program for your school.

Text iDrive to 1-888-825-1346 for TDS and safety text messages.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Distracted Driving

TDS RisksA distraction is anything that takes your mind and attention away from driving

The problem of distractions:

  • There are three main types of distraction1:
    • Visual — taking your eyes off the road
    • Manual — taking your hands off the wheel
    • Cognitive — taking your mind off what you’re doing
  • A survey by Liberty Mutual and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) found that teens felt pressure to stay connected or “always on” contributed to their need to engage with cell phones, even while driving2:
    • 48% of teens reported texting more when alone in their car
    • 55% reported texting while driving to update parents
    • 37% reported texting to coordinate or confirm event details with friends
    • 34% reported taking their eye off the road when receiving an app notification

Cell phones:

  • Handheld cellphone use tends to be highest among 16-to-24-year-old drivers3. Females’ are more likely than males to be killed or injured in a crash of equal severity4.
  • Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves5
  • Distracted driving-related crashes accounted for 11% (233) of all teen deaths that occurred in 20185.
  • 322 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted teen driver in 20195.  A 25% increase compared to the previous year.
  • Engaging in visual-manual subtasks (such as reaching for a phone, dialing, and texting) associated with the use of hand-held phones and other portable devices increased the risk of getting into a crash by three times6.
  • Texting and driving causes reaction time to double and those drivers have a harder time staying in their lane and maintaining a consistent speed6.

Passengers:

  • More fatal teen crashes occur when passengers (often other teens) are in the car7.
  • Over 57% of teens that died as passengers were in vehicles driven by other teens in 20197.
  • Crash risks and the risk of being killed in a crash increases as the number of young passengers in the vehicle increases8.

What do TDS students think about distracted driving?:

Not everyone agrees it’s safe.  In fact, most students surveyed in the 2019-2020 school year believed it is UNACCEPTABLE to update social media while driving9. 

  • While we often believe that everyone is doing it and think it’s ok, most of us agree that being safe is the better choice.  What do your friends believe?
  • Visit our webpage for the complete story: https://www.t-driver.com/teens-in-the-driver-seat-2019-2020-progress-survey-results/ 

What to do about distracted driving:

  • Focus on the road. While you are driving is not the time to multi-task.
  • Keep distractions out of the car. If you know you will be tempted to look at or use your phone, lock it in the trunk or turn it off.
  • Ask passengers to obey your rules while they are in the car, meaning buckle up and don’t distract you.
  • Designate a texter. If you have a passenger, hand over your phone so they can do the texting and/or talking for you.
  • Be a good passenger by not distracting the driver.
  • Know that as a driver, you have a responsibility to yourself and others. A vehicle is a heavy machine and should be treated with respect.
  • Set your music/radio before you take your car out of Park.
  • Never use headphones while driving. It’s illegal and dangerous.
  • Keep passengers to a minimum. If every person doesn’t have a seat belt, you have too many passengers.
  • If you don’t feel well or are not emotionally able to drive – don’t. Ask for a ride or wait until you are able.

Sources:

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/index.html
  2. Liberty Mutual & SADD, 2013 https://www.libertymutualgroup.com/about-lm/news/news-release-archive/articles/new-study-finds-teens-fear-of-missing-out-is-proving-to-be-dangerous
  3. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2019). Driver Electronic Device Use in 2018. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812818
  4. Kahane, C.J. 2013. Injury vulnerability and effectiveness of occupant protection technologies for older occupants and women. Report no. DOT HS-811-766. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as cited by: https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/males-and-females
  5. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 2015
  6. Texas A&M Transportation Institute
  7. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Fatality Facts 2019: Teenagers. Retrieved from https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/teenagers#passenger-vehicle-occupants
  8. Ouimet MC, Pradhan AK, Brooks-Russell A, Ehsani JP, Berviche D, Simons-Morton BG. Young drivers and their passengers: a systematic review of epidemiological studies on crash risk. 2015. Journal of Adolescent Health 57 (1 Suppl): S24-35.
  9. Texas A&M Transportation Institute, 2020.  Based on 2019-2020 Teen Driver Knowledge Survey Results, https://www.t-driver.com/teens-in-the-driver-seat-2019-2020-progress-survey-results/

Updated July 2021

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Read About all Teen Driving Risks

  • Distracted Driving
  • Nighttime and Drowsy Driving
  • Speeding and Street Racing
  • Low Safety Belt Use
  • Impaired Driving
  • Teen Passenger Risks
  • Respect the Rig – Large Truck and Bus Safety
  • Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
  • Additional Links and Resources

  • Save a Life logo
  • USDOT logo
  • GDOT_sponsors_footer
  • GM_sponsors_footer
  • Union Pacific logo
  • State Farm logo
  • Colorado Department of Transportation logo
  • HGAC logo
  • Drive Smart Nebraska logo
  • Wyoming
  • WA Target Zero

Copyright © 2022 Texas A&M Transportation Institute

All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.
Comments, suggestions or queries? Contact Us!


Youth Transportation Safety Program
c/o Texas A&M Transportation Institute
1100 NW Loop 410, Ste 605, San Antonio, TX 78213-2255
Ph: (210) 979-9411
Fax: (210) 321-1299

TTI Logo

Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3135
Ph: (979) 845-9008
Fax: (979) 845-9848

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.