Teenage Driving Interventions - Stefanie Stoops

Over the last decade, teenage driving became a controversial topic. Many argue that states should implement stricter driver's license requirements and increase the legal driving age. What are alternative prevention methods states can take to reduce crashes and injuries among young drivers?

Driving is a complicated task requiring focus and continuous split-second decisions. Nevertheless, it is far too easy for persons of all ages to become distracted. Teen drivers are at a particular risk. According to the National Institutes of Health, the brain continues to develop through one’s 20s (The Teen Brain: 7 Things to Know). The Institutes comment, “The prefrontal cortex…is one of the last brain regions to mature. This area is responsible for…planning, prioritizing, and controlling impulses…. Teens are more likely to engage in risky behaviors without considering the potential results,” (The Teen Brain: 7 Things to Know). Many have advocated for a higher minimum age. While this legislation would decrease deaths and injuries linked with teen driving, other interventions should also be considered: (1) increasing opportunities for teens to practice safe driving prior to licensing and (2) promoting parent involvement and modeling.  

Driving can be difficult even for experienced motorists, much more so for teenagers. Of multitasking while driving, Steinberg, Goodman & Kalish write, “You [the experienced driver] may naturally brake when you see a red light up ahead. However, teens who multitask while driving may not develop these same signals, so they never quite have enough brainpower to do everything necessary of them,” (Avoid Multitasking While Driving). In other words, the adult driver has had time to develop her reflexes. The teen has not. He has only begun to master safe driving habits. Unfortunately, the teen driver’s time with a professional instructor is limited.  

According to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, teenage drivers must complete 24 hours of teaching, 8 hours of driving time with a professional, and 50 hours with a guardian/licensed driver (specific rules vary) (Temporary Permit – Under Age 18). 50 hours is simply not enough time to learn to drive, especially given that a teen’s brain has yet to mature fully; Although this may fall under stricter driver’s license requirements, it is a powerful step towards safe teen driving. Teens need more practice, whether with a professional or a parent. Furthermore, some teens will be learning from parents who do not drive safely or who struggle to explain safe driving practices. Some teens may even struggle to find an adult to teach them. Requiring longer practice hours would ensure quality instruction for all students. Even the most prepared student driver cannot become a confident dexterous driver in 58 hours.

            Unfortunately, such a strategy would raise costs for the state, the teen, and her family. However, communities could organize groups of pre-approved, volunteer driving coaches. The volunteer would have to take tests (written and road) to demonstrate that he is a safe driver. He would also submit his driving record to demonstrate a suitable driving history. Students who do not have a parent or guardian who can teach them to drive safely would no longer fall through the cracks, and all teen drivers would have the opportunity to gain more confidence behind the wheel before emerging as newly licensed drivers.

Teens sometime engage in underage drinking before getting behind the wheel. Lack of experience driving and a prefrontal cortex still in development married to alcohol leads to high risk driving. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “In the 2017 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 16.5% of high school students had ridden with a driver who had been drinking alcohol within the previous month. Among students who drove, 5.5% drove when they had been drinking alcohol during the 30 days before the survey,” (Teen Drivers: Get the Facts). The issue of underage drinking needs to be addressed, however, driving while intoxicated is a far graver mistake. Luckily, parents have several tools to diminish the risks of underage alcohol consumption.

Parents can and should discuss safe driving with their teen. There is, however, a far more critical element, demonstration. It is hard enough for teens to remain focused. Parents cannot expect their teen to drive safely if they do not model such behavior. Parents can set clear expectations about alcohol use by living up to these expectations themselves. Parents need to model safe driving, but they also need to model appropriate drinking, including designating a driver beforehand or asking for a ride if drunk. Not all teens will listen, but parents can increase the chances of their teen avoiding alcohol or, at least, handling alcohol responsibly if they treat the issues of alcohol and driving openly and sincerely. For this to work, open communication and trust must exist between parent and teen.  

Parents can reduce the risk of drunk driving by fostering a healthy honest relationship with their teen. A teen who has a difficult relationship with her parents is unlikely to call upon them in times of need or to admit that she has been drinking. However, if a teen knows that his parent will hear him out, treat him with respect, and look out for his well-being, he may feel comfortable enough to contact his parent and ask for a ride home. This solution does not solve underage drinking. However, it will help reduce the number of deaths due to this drinking. While trust between a teen and her parents can be mended, her broken neck cannot.

This method of prevention, however, takes commitment on the part of parents to foster an attitude and history of trust. This task could be supported by the creation of groups in each city or neighborhood to encourage healthy child-parent relationships. Many parents want to do right by their son or daughter, but parenting is complex. Parents need to be equipped with the knowledge and encouragement they need to create healthy home and relational environments where discussions about distracted driving and alcohol can occur. Few teens will call a parent if they do not feel emotionally safe with that parent. Despite the difficulty of implementation, relationship building is a powerful tool to help teens avoid alcohol, drive responsibly, and mature into healthy individuals.    

The issues facing teen drivers are complex and unlikely to be solved by a single intervention, much less a single piece of legislation. All in all, parent intervention through the tools of relationship building and behavior modeling are likely to have the greatest impact over time if employed on a wide scale. These interventions prevent teens from developing bad habits before they occur and can help to mitigate poor decisions—such as underage drinking—when they do occur. Increasing licensing requirements and raising the minimum driving age should not, however, be discounted. These target the problems of brain development and lack of experience. Teens need more practice and more time to mature. Finally, there are many excellent cautious teen drivers. Adults should approach this issue seriously, but objectively, and need to include teens in these discussions. After all, if adults expect teens to drive safely, a task which can be difficult for adults themselves, then teens most certainly need to have a say in this issue. In the end, including teens in the conversation will increase their support for new programs and legislation. Young people can be an incredible force for change.

Author: Stefanie Stoops

Date: 07/03/2020

Works Cited

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Teen Drivers: Get the Facts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. October 30, 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html. Accessed 2 July 2020.

            Note: Could not find the original document. Have cited the source from the CDC webpage. CDC’s citation to the original is below.

Kann L, McManus T, Harris WA, et al. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance — United States, 2017. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Surveillance Summary. 2018;67(No. SS-8):1–114.

National Institutes of Health. “The Teen Brain: 7 Things to Know.” National Institute of Mental Health. NIH Publication No. 20-MH-8078. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Revised 2020. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-teen-brain-7-things-to-know/index.shtml. Accessed 2 July 2020.

Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. “Temporary Permit – Under Age 18.” Ohio BMV. Ohio Department of Public Safety. https://bmv.ohio.gov/dl-temp-u18.aspx#gsc.tab=0. Accessed 2 July 2020.

Steinberg, Goodman & Kalish. “Avoid Multitasking While Driving.” Steinberg, Goodman & Kalish. 3 September 2019. https://www.sgklawyers.com/blog/2019/09/avoid-multitasking-while-driving.shtml. Accessed 29 June 2020.