Obtaining a driver’s license is a rite of passage for a teenager in America. Parents rejoice to be done with the drop-off line, and teens begin to exercise their freedom . . . an exciting time of life!
Although most teens feel ready to drive and want the responsibility that goes with it, a closer look at their cognitive, social, and emotional development suggests that their readiness to drive safely does not automatically happen at 16.
In “Preventing Teen Motor Crashes: Contributions from the Behavioral and Social Sciences”, panelists detail many factors that contribute to a teen’s ability to drive safely. Most notably:
- Optimistic bias: The misperception that affects teens’ driving, which they share with adults, is a tendency known as the optimistic bias, or overconfidence in their own control over risk. What compounds this problem for teens, however, is their lack of understanding and inaccurate thinking about cumulative risk. Teens correctly assess the risk associated with any single car trip as relatively low. However, each time the teen takes an uneventful drive, their perception of the riskiness of driving goes down while their perception of the benefits goes up. While teen drivers may still acknowledge the overall risk, even after acquiring months of experience, they perceive a decline in the risk posed by any single driving trip. The result is a teen who believes they can handle hazardous situations, is overconfident in their driving skills, and is decreasingly vigilant about safety. Since the teen is also less experienced and competent at the wheel than the average adult, the optimistic bias is particularly hazardous for teen drivers.
- Peer Interactions: Driving—the single activity that involves the greatest risks for the largest number of teens—can play an important role in peer interactions. The ability to drive one’s friends around can allow teens to pursue important social goals, for example, by allowing them to demonstrate maturity, return favors that others have offered, enhance their status, or reinforce membership in a group. The key point in terms of driving safety is that when driving with peers, teens are undertaking two separate, challenging, and complex tasks: they are keenly attuned to the behavior of and interactions among their peers while also operating the vehicle and attending to road and traffic conditions. From a developmental perspective, Kinsman argued, it is unrealistic to expect teens to tune out their peer passengers and give their full attention to the task of driving.
While there are many factors that contribute to safe driving, mitigating these two seems to produce the most positive outcome.
To overcome optimistic bias, Advanced Training is highly recommended. While the DMV requires 6 hours behind the wheel with a licensed instructor and 50 hours with a parent or guardian, it is impossible to introduce all possible hazardous road conditions during that time. Advanced Training is an all-day closed-course experience focusing on Collision Avoidance: hazard recognition, speed management, space management, controlled skid pad, etc.
To avoid the potentially negative impact of peer interactions when driving, it Is highly recommended that families implement a Parent/Teen Driving Agreement and follow the DMV guideline: in the first 12 months of their license, minors cannot drive with passengers under the age of 20 unless a parent/guardian or another CA-licensed driver over the age of 25 is in the vehicle.
Teen Road to Safety – Temecula is proud to offer complete concierge service:
- Online Driver’s Education
- One-on-one behind-the-wheel instruction packages of 6 to 20 hours with expert law enforcement officers as instructors
- Advanced Training Course hosted once a month in South Orange County
Behind the wheel teen safety is our passion and purpose, and we will gladly hold your hand every step of the way.
For more information and pricing:
Visit: www.teenroadtosafety.com or https://www.facebook.com/trtstemecula
Email: temecula@teenroadtosafety.com
Call: 855-81-DRIVE
Voice or text: 951-516-1452
