Teen Drivers Better Off Without Friends in Car

How lovely for your teen to give his friends a lift to school. Not!

Cell phones are one form of distracted driving. But so are "peer passengers," according to two studies published in the Journal of Adolescent Research this week.

"It can be hard for new drivers to simultaneously navigate the rules of the road and manage passengers," says Allison Curry, director of epidemiology and biostatistics at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and lead author of "Peer Passengers: How Do They Affect Teen Crashes." She notes that as an adult behind the wheel, she confidently tells her passengers to behave. (That's trickier for teens to do.)

Researchers found that just before impact, guys with passengers were more likely than guys without them to perform an aggressive act and an illegal maneuver. Immediately before a crash, girls with passengers were more likely than girls without them to engage in a "non-driving activity" (other than talking) inside the car.  (By contrast to the boys, teen girls rarely drove aggressively or performed an illegal maneuver.)

How can moms and dads lessen the odds that their kids will haul around many friends? "We found that teens who perceive their parents as monitoring and setting rules are less likely to drive with multiple passengers and less likely to engage in risky driving behaviors," says Curry. "Parents should work actively with their teens to set rules and expectations about carrying peer passengers during the first six to 12 months of independent driving."

Sure, some states play the bad guy by limiting the number of peer passengers as part of their Graduated Driver Licensing program. But not all do. "We recommend that parents set and enforce a house rule of no non-sibling teen passengers for the first six months of independent driving and no more than one non-sibling teen passenger for the next six months," says Curry.

The one-only restriction is critical. "Crash risk increases exponentially with each additional peer passenger," says Curry. One extra person in a newbie driver's car doubles the risk of a fatal crash, and three or more quadruples it.

Teen drivers hold a dubious distinction: they boast the highest motor vehicle crash rates of any age group. Per mile driven, they are four times more likely than 25- to 69-year-old drivers to be in a fatal crash, according to a study published last year by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the State Farm Insurance Companies. Their top mistakes: lack of scanning to detect and respond to hazards, going too fast for road conditions, and being distracted.

So parents, do everything you can. That includes watching your own driving. "Kids keenly observe their parents' driving habits from a very young age, for better or for worse," says Curry. "Parents who model safe driving behaviors now will ultimately help keep their children safer once they get behind the wheel."

Make sure kids know that your rules are "about safety, not control," says Curry. And don't forget to talk to them about ways they can be safe passengers when driving with their friends. (They certainly should not encourage speeding or racing – risk-taking behaviors noted in the other study, "Factors Associated with Adolescents' Propensity to Drive with Multiple Passengers and to Engage in Risky Driving Behaviors."

For more help navigating the learning-to-drive process, visit the Center for Injury Research and Prevention website, teendriversource.org, which includes information for tweens and young teens, too.

For more about teen driving, read:

How to Keep Your Teen Driver Alive

A Newbie Teen Driver in the Family: Should You Worry?

Should You Give Your 16-Year-Old a Car?