Texting or talking on the phone has always been considered distracting for drivers, but it seems as though more often than not, teens are actually texting or talking to their parents.
Researchers conducted a study with 408 teenagers who are aged 15 to 18 and located in 31 states. In that group, 53 percent reported they were on the phone with their parents, with 46 percent saying they talked to friends.
"Teens told us parents really expected to keep track of them, and they are expected to answer the phone if the parent calls. In some cases, the parent might continue to call until the teen answers," says psychologist Noelle LaVoie, whose research firm Parallel Consulting in California conducts corporate and government studies.
Studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that distracted driving is a leading cause of death among drivers of all ages, but for teens it accounts for 11 percent of fatal crashes. Among those accidents, 21 percent involve cell phones.
Around 2,700 teens between the ages of 16 and 19 are killed each year because of car accidents, with another 280,000 being treated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes (PDF) in a fact sheet on teen drivers.
"It was just very surprising to see how directly parents are involved," LaVoie continued. "What we do know for sure is if parents would not call their teens while they're driving, it would reduce teen distracted driving."
The results from the study will be presented at the American Psychological Association's annual meeting, held in Washington D.C., on Aug. 8.
The study also says that teens have repeatedly seen their parents text or talk on the phone while driving, suggesting that parents may not be setting the best example for their children.
"There is certainly prior research showing that parents might not be modeling the best behavior for teens," says LaVoie. "We know a lot of parents talk on the phone while driving. But this was a real shock."
Fortunately, the study did find that many drivers were at least careful about when they texted, with drivers being most likely to text while stopped at an intersection and least likely in heavy traffic. Despite this, even in heavy traffic, 39 percent of drivers surveyed reported talking on the phone and 19 percent reported texting.
Another distracted driving study was presented at the conference on Aug. 7, with findings showing that 89 percent of college students placed phone calls while they were driving and 79 percent texted.
"Younger drivers seemed overconfident in their ability to multitask," says Keli Braitman, an assistant professor of psychology at William Jewell College in Missouri.
Most of the researchers involved in distracted driving surveys agree that much of the solution lies with educating parents, who have to set an example saying that it is no longer acceptable to use a cell phone while driving.
