Study Reveals Dangerous Teen Driving Behaviors

Posted in

February 25th, 2010

A recent study released by The Allstate Foundation revealed that teens’ attitudes toward driving have worsened in the past few years. The study, Shifting Teen Attitudes: The State of Teen Driving 2009, is a follow up to a 2005 study that also looked at teen attitudes behind the wheel.

The results could definitely have parents biting their nails as they consider teen driving and the high auto insurance quotes they’re likely to see.

Stats from the Study

The study on teen driving took the form of a survey conducted by online interviews among 1,063 teens nationally in May 2009. Some of the following responses are from teens regarding driving:

• 82 percent of teens report that they use cell phones while driving.
• 23 percent admit to drinking and driving.
• 48 percent of girls and 36 percent of boys admit they are likely to speed more than 10 mph over the limit.
• 16 percent of girls and 13 percent of boys describe their driving as aggressive.

What’s surprising about the results is that girls seem to exhibit more dangerous behavior than boys. However, young men still traditionally pay more for auto insurance premiums.

What to Do as a Parent

If you are the parent of a teen, then you must be concerned about these numbers. However, the good news is that 82 percent of teens want to be known as a safe/skilled driver. It’s a good idea to take advantage of this desire to do right by promoting responsible teen driving.

But even more important is to secure auto insurance for your teen so that you know that if an at-fault or not-at-fault accident occurs, your teen (and vehicle) will be protected.