Studies show teens are too distracted while driving

A new AAA study is looking at teenage driving habits based on videos of hundreds of teen drivers nationwide.  Researchers call it naturalistic data, which is used to examine behaviors and contributing

News 12 Staff

Mar 26, 2015, 2:51 AM

Updated 3,493 days ago

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A new AAA study is looking at teenage driving habits based on videos of hundreds of teen drivers nationwide. 
Researchers call it naturalistic data, which is used to examine behaviors and contributing factors in the seconds leading up to collisions. Distractions found 58 percent of the crashes involve cellphones, music and other passengers. That's about four times more than previous estimates based on police records.
"The videos speak volumes as to what is going on behind the wheel," says Tracy Noble, of AAA Mid-Atlantic. "It's clear that the kids don't have the experience." In the videos, there are many times where teens have their eyes off the road for more than four seconds at a time. 
Experts say the study shows driver education needs to include more practice time, and that parents need to get involved and lead by example.