During the spring of 2019, Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS) supported an activity at TDS schools to decrease electronic use among teen drivers and adult drivers who transport students. The activity, Zero Crazy, is in its sixth year and consists of a pre-observation, three weeks of messaging, a post-observation, and a pizza party for schools that completed and returned all observation data. The activity was offered to all program schools. Forty-six high schools and junior high schools signed up to complete the activity, twenty-three of those returned all data and received a report of their results and a $100 gift card for their accomplishment.
High school student teams were asked to observe teen drivers and log if they were or were not visibly using an electronic device. Junior High student teams were asked to observe adult drivers and log electronic use.
As a continuation of last year’s discovery, when we compare schools that have participated in the activity multiple years with first-year activity schools, we found that the multi-year (participated 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 years) young driver pre-observations were higher than first-year young driver pre-observations. These results suggest regular focus on this risk is resulting in less young driver distractions over time.
Young Driver First-Year vs. Multi-Year School Results
(Contains only schools that observed teens in their pre- and post-observations. Weighted average. All Years accounted for.)
First Year Schools (54 schools)
Pre-Observations Post-Observations
Sampling 5,750 6,215
Drivers displaying no electronic use 81.0% 85.6% +4.6%
Multiple Year Schools (43 schools)
Pre-Observations Post-Observations
Sampling 7,774 6,871
Drivers displaying no electronic use 85.8% 93.4% +7.6%
All School 2019 Results
(23 schools. Weighted average.)
Pre-Observations Post-Observations
Sampling 5,111 4,002
Drivers displaying no electronic use 82.2% 91.2% +9.0%
Texas Results
(Weighted average.)
Texas High Schools (teen drivers)
Pre-Observations Post-Observations
Sampling 1,184 1,296
Drivers displaying no electronic use 77.5% 87.1% +9.7%
Texas Junior High Schools (adult drivers)
Pre-Observations Post-Observations
Sampling 514 417
Drivers displaying no electronic use 73.6% 75.1% +1.5%
Nebraska Results (teen drivers)
(Weighted average.)
Pre-Observations Post-Observations
Sampling 429 419
Drivers displaying no electronic use 76.2% 83.7% +7.5%
Colorado Results (teen drivers)
(Weighted average.)
Pre-Observations Post-Observations
Sampling 137 135
Drivers displaying no electronic use 96.1% 94.7% -1.4%
Georgia Results
(Weighted average.)
Georgia High Schools (teen drivers)
Pre-Observations Post-Observations
Sampling 3,061 1,852
Drivers displaying no electronic use 84.6% 94.3% +9.7%
Georgia Junior High Schools (adult drivers)
Pre-Observations Post-Observations
Sampling 60 50
Drivers displaying no electronic use 93.0% 96.0% +3.0%
State Farm School Results (teen drivers)
(Weighted average.)
Pre-Observations Post-Observations
Sampling 300 300
Drivers displaying no electronic use 79.0% 99.0% +20.0%