VIDEO: Distraction causing more teen driver crashes

Taking your eyes off the road is always a recipe for disaster, and with the growing number of distractions ensuring just that, it’s no surprise to find that more drivers are getting into mishaps, especially teens, and the percentage is rapidly climbing.

Over in the United States, comprehensive research conducted into crash videos of teen drivers has found significant evidence that distracted driving is becoming a serious problem, one larger than previously known.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety says that video analysis of nearly 1,700 videos of teen drivers taken from in-vehicle event recorders finds that distraction was a factor in nearly six out of 10 moderate-to-severe teen crashes – distraction was a factor in 58% of all crashes studied, a hike from an earlier estimate of it being a factor in only 14% of all teen driver crashes.

distract

The study said that the most common forms of distraction leading up to a crash by a teen driver were interacting with one or more passengers (15%), mobile phone use (12%), looking at something in the vehicle (10%), looking at something outside the vehicle (9%), singing/moving to music (8%), grooming (6%) and reaching for an object (6%).

Researchers found that drivers manipulating their mobile phone (includes calling, texting or 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. The researchers also measured reaction times in rear-end crashes and found that teen drivers using a cell phone failed to react more than half of the time before the impact, meaning they crashed without braking or steering.

The AAA says that teens have the highest crash rate of any group in the US, with about 963,000 drivers aged 16-19 being involved in police-reported crashes in 2013 – these accidents resulted in 383,000 injuries and 2,865 deaths.

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Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • Summary of story, if you are teen, don’t text drive. When you are older, you can do it. #troll

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 5
  • Sam L00 on Mar 31, 2015 at 12:11 pm

    All car in video don hv Vsc

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 3
  • RON97 on Mar 31, 2015 at 12:38 pm

    In this country, mostly happened to Ah Beng & Ahmoi with kancil & Myvi. They can’t afford Golf anyway. Refer to accident at BU last year.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 5
  • Obviously (Member) on Mar 31, 2015 at 12:41 pm

    Funny how some of those crashes were the result of overreaction. Also funny is the length of time they can keep their eyes off the road.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
    • GT3 (Member) on Apr 01, 2015 at 12:28 am

      New drivers seems to overreact and get panicked easily. A more experienced driver would react more smoothly during emergency situations I must say.
      Yea as we watch from the onboard video, length of time is terrifyingly long, but to them, it’s like la la la scrolling timelines…and suddenly big OOOPS moment..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
  • Rich kids problem in those western countries.

    Poor kids in M’sia do not have such luxury.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 4
  • rigid on Mar 31, 2015 at 2:32 pm

    its even worse if you drive without seatbelt on you. the effect is catastrophic i’d say.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
  • Aniki on Mar 31, 2015 at 3:02 pm

    Don’t you all found that this is fake? Who will capture themselves while shooting the front?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 9
  • Superglue on Apr 01, 2015 at 12:27 am

    wow!!! This is certainly news to me…..NOT

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
 

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