ALT-1 Issues with Fatal Accidents Caused by Teen Drivers
The issues for teenage drivers ending up in fatal accidents are a combination of factors. They are: inexperience, an inability to perceive consequences from actions, especially in teenage boys, over confidence, peer pressure and alcohol or drugs. A study on teen drivers in New Zealand recently revealed some interesting facts about the teenage brain and offers practical solutions to teenage drivers' high accident and death rates.
According to information on the Insurance Information Institute website and statistics it gathered from the US Department of Transportation, teenagers make up 12.9 percent of all fatal accidents and 16 percent of all total crashes. It is the leading cause of death amongst 15-20 year olds and involves not just the teens themselves, but of course frequently any friends traveling with them and other motorists too.
A significant part of the problem for teenage drivers actually stems from their cognitive development at the age when most are earning their license for the first time. You could compare the issue with the incident of a young child who chases a ball out into the street who, transfixed with chasing the ball, is oblivious to the traffic hazards around them. Physiologically children are known not to have the full faculty of peripheral vision and are highly vulnerable in such situations where their cognitive abilities limit accurate threat assessment in complex situations. It's every parent's nightmare and according to some recent studies in New Zealand, teenagers are similarly at risk.
Psychologists at the University of Waikato (pronounced why-catto) explored international findings that suggested teenage brains are not sufficiently developed to accurately assess threats or modify risk taking behavior. Chief researcher on the study, Dr Robert Isler pointed out that, "The brain's frontal lobe is responsible for cognitive functions that control life-saving behaviour such as emotion regulation, hazard anticipation and risk management," he said. "Yet brain imaging studies show this lobe does not fully develop until drivers are 25." (nzherald.co.nz)
The study also suggested that whilst it did not take long for teens to gather an ability to drive the vehicle, mastering vehicle handling could give them a false sense of security and control. Just because they have control of the vehicle does not mean they are necessarily better drivers in terms of their risk assessment, as Dr Isler says, "It normally takes much longer to learn related cognitive skills, like hazard perception, risk management and self control" (nzherald.co.nz). The study confirmed that extra time spent educating drivers focusing on these problem areas, including extending the time in which the driver goes solo and combined with a graduated license program, could prevent significant accidents and loss of life.
A television news article on the study demonstrated eye movement with an experienced driver, in this case the journalist covering the story, and a new driver. The journalist's eye movements were tracked and you could see how he was able to look further down the road, both at cars coming towards him and ahead in the same lane as him. He was also able to check for side streets and other potential hazards which driving dishes up, such as road side objects and the like. The opposite was true of the less experienced teen driver, whose eyes tended to focus on the more immediate area in front of the vehicle, only glancing to observe oncoming traffic as it approached within that narrow field of vision, giving little time to avoid potential hazards.
If you combine this inexperience and very real brain immaturity with factors such as alcohol, drugs, distractions like friends in the vehicle, text messaging and so and so forth, the potential for a fatality is significant. The researchers stress that extra time developing cognitive processes such as risk assessment, significantly improved the teens driving ability. The Herald article also suggest that parents can play a crucial part in coaching teens in risk assessment and aid in extending the time before allowing the teen to go solo, which is where teens are most likely to have their first accident.
The incidence of fatalities amongst teen drivers has always been anecdotally put down to youthful exuberance and general immaturity. However, it seems the New Zealand study, combined with research from around the world, now confirms that the immaturity stems from the way in which the brain develops in teens and young adults. It is up to communities now to recognize this and promote young driver education and the graduated licensing system, which has proved to be highly effective in reducing teen accidents.
Sources:
http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/teendrivershttp://www.nzherald.co.nz
